Human muscle cells will be launched into space from the Kennedy Space Center as part of a trial in the UK to explore how to help people live longer and healthier lives.
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The work, called MicroAge, will transport cells from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station to explore what happens to human muscles, how people age, and why.
The cells were grown the size of a grain of rice in laboratories and placed in smallholders the size of a sharpener.
Scientists use the space station to conduct this research because the lack of gravity causes muscle weakness similar to what happens in humans when they get old.
British Science Minister George Freeman said: “By taking advantage of the unique environment of the International Space Station, our pioneering scientists can help us all live stronger and healthier lives.”
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Professor Malcolm Jackson from the University of Liverpool said: “Aging is one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century and we will learn a lot from the data we get from this study about how muscles respond to microgravity and aging.”
A research team from the University of Liverpool will analyze human muscle cells when they are returned to Earth in January 2022, allowing them to compare the results with experiments conducted on Earth.
