On September 7,  Redwire announced that it successfully 3D bioprinted the first human knee meniscus in orbit using its upgraded 3D BioFabrication Facility (BFF) on the International Space Station (ISS). This historic milestone opens the door to improved treatments for meniscal injuries, one of the most common injuries for U.S. service members. 

Demonstrating the ability to successfully print complex tissue such as this meniscus is a major leap forward toward the development of a repeatable microgravity manufacturing process for reliable bioprinting at scale. This directly addresses organ shortages and personalized medicine. The print was conducted as part of the BFF-Meniscus-2 Investigation with the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Center for Biotechnology (4D Bio3), a biomedical research center that explores and adapts promising biotechnologies for warfighter benefit. The investigation was conducted by NASA astronauts Frank Rubio, Warren “Woody” Hoburg, Stephen Bowen, and UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi.

The meniscus returned to Earth onboard the SpaceX Crew-6 Mission for analysis following successful print operations in July.  Before returning to Earth, the print was cultured for 14 days on the ISS in Redwire’s Advanced Space Experiment Processor (ADSEP). The microgravity environment is enabling unprecedented medical advancements in tissue printing.

BFF has transformed the bioprinting space and will continue to do so as America’s first bioprinter with a permanent home on the ISS. In late January 2023, NASA astronauts successfully installed an upgraded BFF that allows greater temperature control when printing with bioinks that are sensitive to temperatures, as well as Redwire’s Advanced Space Experiment Processor (ADSEP), used in conjunction with BFF. In the past, Redwire has used BFF to print with a large volume of human heart cells and made meniscus test prints as a validation of the BFF concept onboard the ISS.

BFF is part of Redwire’s growing portfolio of technologies and innovative on-orbit capabilities enabling human spaceflight missions and commercial microgravity research and development in low-Earth orbit (LEO). Redwire’s science and research capabilities span several areas, tissue production, crystal growing for the pharmaceutical and agriculture industries, materials research, plant science and more. Redwire has developed 20 research facilities for the ISS with 10 currently operating on station to deliver world-leading research.

On the SpaceX CRS-29 resupply mission to the ISS in November, Redwire will be launching microgravity research payloads focused on pharmaceutical drug development and regenerative medicine. This will be the inaugural flight for the Redwire Pharmaceutical In-Space Laboratory (PIL-BOX), which will expand research capabilities for drug development on orbit. Redwire is also launching an experiment in bioprinting cardiac tissue. The cardiac cells will be used on BFF, on the same successful system used to print the meniscus.

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