Dozens of projects return from the space station to advance medicine, technology, and workforce development

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., Feb. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft has safely splashed down off the coast of Southern California, bringing back more than 55 investigations sponsored by the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory. These projects, supported by the ISS crew, represent a cross-section of cutting-edge work in regenerative medicine, advanced materials, space biology, and student-led innovation. Results from this research will help accelerate discoveries that benefit people on Earth and foster a robust commercial marketplace in low Earth orbit (LEO).

With the successful return of SpaceX’s 33rd Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) mission for NASA, researchers will begin postflight analysis, aiming to advance scientific knowledge that accelerates future R&D in LEO and beyond. Payloads returning to Earth through this mission include the following:

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is studying how induced pluripotent stem cells can be used to produce brain and heart organoids in space, which could accelerate regenerative medicine breakthroughs. The project builds on multiple investigations from this team over the years and could further in-space manufacturing to produce stem cell-based therapies for heart disease, neurodegenerative conditions, and more.
ELVIS is back. Portland State University and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory leveraged the ISS to test the Extant Life Volumetric Imaging System (ELVIS), a new holographic microscope designed to study how life adapts under extreme conditions.
Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) is studying how engineered liver tissue containing blood vessels behaves in microgravity. Originating from NASA’s Vascular Tissue Challenge, the project could advance tissue engineering in space to support future organ replacement for patients on Earth and beyond.
In a project funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, Arizona State University is collaborating with BioServe Space Technologies to study how germicidal ultraviolet light affects the formation of biofilms in space-based water systems. Findings could lead to new ways to protect life support systems during spaceflight and reduce biofilm-related challenges on Earth.
Multiple student-led projects to prepare the future space workforce were completed on the space station. One project comes from the annual Genes in Space competition, in which students in grades 7-12 propose genetics-related investigations to be conducted on the ISS. This investigation examined the potential use of bacteriophages (viruses that infect bacteria) as therapeutic agents to combat microbial infections in space. Additionally, the Higher Orbits Go For Launch! program conducted experiments from students in Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia.

To learn more about ISS National Lab-sponsored research that flew on this mission, visit our launch page. Additionally, to learn more about results from R&D conducted on station, please subscribe to Upward, the official magazine of the ISS National Lab.

Download a high-resolution image for this release: SpaceX-33 return

About the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory:
The International Space Station (ISS) is a one-of-a-kind laboratory that enables research and technology development not possible on Earth. As a public service enterprise, the ISS National Laboratory® allows researchers to leverage this multiuser facility to improve quality of life on Earth, mature space-based business models, advance science literacy in the future workforce, and expand a sustainable and scalable market in low Earth orbit. Through this orbiting national laboratory, research resources on the ISS are available to support non-NASA science, technology, and education initiatives from U.S. government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space® (CASIS®) manages the ISS National Lab, under Cooperative Agreement with NASA, facilitating access to its permanent microgravity research environment, a powerful vantage point in low Earth orbit, and the extreme and varied conditions of space. To learn more about the ISS National Lab, visit our website.