Redwire Corporation, announced that it has been selected by NASA to facilitate a Space Microalgae biotechnology experiment. The experiment, developed by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), and the National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), New Delhi, will launch on Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) to the International Space Station (ISS).
The Space Microalgae investigation will analyze the impact of microgravity on the growth, metabolism, and genetic activity of three strains of edible microalgae, which researchers are assessing as a potential sustainable food source for long-duration space missions. For this research mission, Redwire will manage mission integration, scientific fulfillment, and on-orbit operations.
“Redwire is proud to be working with NASA, ISRO, the ICGEB, and NIPGR on this multinational biotechnology research effort that could have significant implications for future long-duration spaceflight missions to the Moon and Mars,” said John Vellinger, Redwire’s President of In-Space Industries. “As a global leader in microgravity research and development technologies, it is incredibly exciting to contribute to global scientific progress in sustainable food sources for long-duration space missions.
“We are excited to engage with Redwire to launch this important investigation to the ISS,” said Dr. Shashi Kumar from the ICGEB. “This work will help advance our knowledge of microalgae as a supplement for crew nutrition, so critical for the future of long-duration spaceflight. The Government of India’s BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment, and Employment) policy has an important vertical on space biomanufacturing, and this work is the first space project to be supported under it.”
Redwire is the global leader in microgravity research, development, and manufacturing technologies, specializing in space biotechnology, pharmaceutical development, and plant research. Redwire has more than three decades of human spaceflight heritage and experience producing and operating systems and currently owns nine payloads and facilities aboard the ISS, including Redwire’s trailblazing BioFabrication Facility and PIL-BOX platform. Leveraging these unique capabilities, Redwire has successfully bio-printed the first-ever human knee meniscus and first live human heart tissue in space and has successfully grown small-molecule crystals optimized for drug development in microgravity. Ax-4 will launch an international crew of astronauts from India, Poland, Hungary, and the United States to the ISS, marking the second human spaceflight mission for India, Poland, and Hungary. It will also be the first time all three nations will investigate aboard the ISS.
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