Media Call Set Ahead of SpaceX CRS-18 Launch To Reveal Scientific Payloads

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., July 1, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- On July 9 at 1 p.m. EDT, NASA will host a media teleconference to provide information on SpaceX's 18^th commercial services resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS), SpaceX CRS-18. This launch will include more than 50 experiments sponsored by the U.S. National Laboratory.

ISS National Lab Chief Operating Officer Kenneth Shields will participate in the teleconference and discuss investigations flying on this mission, including an experiment from the National Stem Cell Foundation titled The Effects of Microgravity on Microglia 3-Dimensional Models of Parkinson's Disease and Multiple Sclerosis. Principal investigators Andres Bratt-Leal and Valentina Fossati will give a presentation on the investigation. 

According to Shields, "This launch features more ISS National Lab-sponsored investigations than any previous resupply mission. The demand for space-based research and development continues to increase as companies look to take advantage of the unique environment onboard the space station. Payloads on this mission include investigations from Fortune 500 companies, startups, and academic institutions as well as exciting education projects and new hardware facilities to increase station research capabilities."

To learn more about all ISS National Lab-sponsored investigations on SpaceX CRS-18 please visit www.ISSNationalLab.org. 

To receive dial-in information to participate in the teleconference, media representatives must contact Josh Finch at 202-358-1100 or [email protected] by 4 p.m. Friday, July 5.

About the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory: 
In 2005, Congress designated the U.S. portion of the ISS as the nation's newest national laboratory to optimize its use for improving quality of life on Earth, promoting collaboration among diverse users, and advancing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. This unique laboratory environment is available for use by non-NASA U.S. government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector. The ISS National Lab manages access to the permanent microgravity research environment, a powerful vantage point in low Earth orbit, and the extreme and varied conditions of space.

SOURCE International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory