<p>The next SpaceX cargo delivery mission to the International Space Station will have a few unusual items, along with thousands of kilograms of science supplies, as it hurtles off into space -- a baby squid, avocados and a miniscule animal called tardigrades.</p>.<p>The reusable rocket company, headed by billionaire businessman Elon Musk, is slated to launch its Falcon 9 rocket in service of the company’s 22nd cargo mission to the space station from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida in the afternoon of June 3, eastern daylight time.</p>.<p>The mission will also carry 3,328 kilograms of pressurized cargo to the International Space Station to replenish the astronauts’ food supplies and experiment gear. The spacecraft will also deliver two new roll-out solar arrays set to be fitted during upcoming spacewalks, NASA officials told reporters at a press conference.</p>.<p>Some of the cargo being ferried to low-Earth orbit will allow scientists to gain insights into how biological systems react to extreme environments.</p>.<p>The humble tardigrade is one of three organisms set to go into space, being a fitting candidate for experimentation as the remarkably durable micro-sized animal has been known to withstand freezing temperatures, powerful radiation, vacuums, and impacts in excess of 2,607 kilometres per hour.</p>.<p>The goal of the scientific study named Cell Science-04 is to identify which genes make the tiny animals, sometimes called water bears or moss piglets, resistant to such demanding conditions with the intention of applying the findings to better acclimatise humans to the rigours of space.</p>.<p>A different set of scientists will keep their eyes fixed on how microbes that help humans and other organisms digest food and build immunity behave in low-gravity space. The eight-armed bobtail squid was the subject of choice for the study, since it shares a very simple symbiotic relationship with helpful bacteria.</p>.<p>Besides these tiny organisms, scientists will also investigate why astronauts are more likely to develop kidney stones during space flights with the help of a 3D kidney cell model or a “tissue chip” in a study that could also yield important results for patients back on earth.</p>.<p>With the fresh cargo shipment, astronauts will also be able to test run a virtual reality interface called Pilote to externally control robotic arms and spacecraft and get access to a portable ultrasound that could come in handy in a health emergency.</p>
<p>The next SpaceX cargo delivery mission to the International Space Station will have a few unusual items, along with thousands of kilograms of science supplies, as it hurtles off into space -- a baby squid, avocados and a miniscule animal called tardigrades.</p>.<p>The reusable rocket company, headed by billionaire businessman Elon Musk, is slated to launch its Falcon 9 rocket in service of the company’s 22nd cargo mission to the space station from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida in the afternoon of June 3, eastern daylight time.</p>.<p>The mission will also carry 3,328 kilograms of pressurized cargo to the International Space Station to replenish the astronauts’ food supplies and experiment gear. The spacecraft will also deliver two new roll-out solar arrays set to be fitted during upcoming spacewalks, NASA officials told reporters at a press conference.</p>.<p>Some of the cargo being ferried to low-Earth orbit will allow scientists to gain insights into how biological systems react to extreme environments.</p>.<p>The humble tardigrade is one of three organisms set to go into space, being a fitting candidate for experimentation as the remarkably durable micro-sized animal has been known to withstand freezing temperatures, powerful radiation, vacuums, and impacts in excess of 2,607 kilometres per hour.</p>.<p>The goal of the scientific study named Cell Science-04 is to identify which genes make the tiny animals, sometimes called water bears or moss piglets, resistant to such demanding conditions with the intention of applying the findings to better acclimatise humans to the rigours of space.</p>.<p>A different set of scientists will keep their eyes fixed on how microbes that help humans and other organisms digest food and build immunity behave in low-gravity space. The eight-armed bobtail squid was the subject of choice for the study, since it shares a very simple symbiotic relationship with helpful bacteria.</p>.<p>Besides these tiny organisms, scientists will also investigate why astronauts are more likely to develop kidney stones during space flights with the help of a 3D kidney cell model or a “tissue chip” in a study that could also yield important results for patients back on earth.</p>.<p>With the fresh cargo shipment, astronauts will also be able to test run a virtual reality interface called Pilote to externally control robotic arms and spacecraft and get access to a portable ultrasound that could come in handy in a health emergency.</p>
