GREENVILLE, Ind. (February 7, 2020) – Techshot supplies supporting experiments scheduled for later this year are expected to launch to the International Space Station at 5:39 a.m. EST Sunday, February 9 aboard an uncrewed Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo freighter. The mission, known as NG-13, will launch from pad OA at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Space Port in Wallops Island, Virginia.
Onboard the Cygnus spacecraft are Techshot supplies used to preserve and return samples to Earth in April from an experiment with cardiomyocytes taking place next month aboard the station. Cardiomyocytes (CMs) are the cells responsible for generating contractile force in heart. The experiment will evaluate the effects of microgravity on the differentiation and function of CMs derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells.
Also launching to the ISS aboard NG-13 are Techshot kits that will be used in space by astronauts to harvest and return radishes grown in the station’s most complex greenhouse, the Advanced Plant Habitat, which Techshot manages under a contract with NASA.
About Techshot Inc.
Founded more than 30 years ago, Techshot Inc. operates its own commercial research payloads in space and serves as the manager of three NASA-owned ISS payloads — such as the Advanced Plant Habitat. The company provides its catalog of equipment on board the station for a fee to those with their own independent research programs – serving as a one-stop resource for organizations that want access to space.
Techshot is an official Implementation Partner for the ISS U.S. National Laboratory and it has agreements with NASA that provide the company and its customers with access to space cargo transfer services and assistance from the on-orbit crew. It is headquartered in Greenville and also maintains an office at the Space Life Science Laboratory at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. www.Techshot.space
Contact:
Rich Boling
502-728-8136
rboling@Techshot.com
