Space Station Leads to Breakthroughs in Human Health on
Earth
Space Station Research Integration Office JUL 23 , 2022
NASA astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor works on Angiex Cancer Therapy , a study testing a safer , more effective treatment that targets tumor cells and blood vessels . Credits : NASA
As a cup of water sits on the corner of a desk , gravity pulls the liquid down. The walls of the cup push back , keeping the water in place . Those of us living on Earth hardly give a second thought to these forces , but for scientists working to unravel the mysteries of disease , the effects of gravity and the forces of containers on scientificc samples may alter experimental results and hinder breakthroughh discoveries .
NASA ’ s Ring Sheared Drop experiment is helping overcome this hurdle . Researchers developed a device for use aboard the International Space Station that uses surface tension to contain the liquid rather than a solid container , something possible only in microgravity .