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Determining the fundamental role of gravity in vital biological systems in space is one of six science and research areas that provides the philosophical underpinning for why NASA exists. The study of cells, tissues, and microorganisms in a spaceflight environment holds the promise of answering multiple intriguing questions about how gravity affects living systems. To enable these studies, specimens must be maintained in an environment similar to that used in a laboratory. Cell culture studies under normal laboratory conditions involve maintaining a highly specialized environment with the necessary temperature, humidity control, nutrient, and gas exchange conditions. These same cell life support conditions must be provided by the International Space Station (ISS) Cell Culture Unit (CCU) in the unique environment of space. The CCU is a perfusion-based system that must function in microgravity, at unit gravity (1g) on earth, and from 0.1g up to 2g aboard the ISS centrifuge rotor.

To address basic cell biology questions such as “Can cells respond to a gravity stimulus?”, a Cell Culture Unit (CCU) is being developed for use in the International Space Station. The CCU will accommodate diverse specimen types (animal, plant, and microbial cells; tissues; aquatic organisms) in up to twenty-four cell specimen chambers. The environmental conditions (e.g. temperature, pH, gas concentrations) will be maintained by medium recirculation and renewal, and gas and heat exchange. The CCU will also provide for the addition of experimental agents (e.g. growth factors), automated sampling, and monitoring of the specimens by video microscopy. Microgravity experiments will be performed using the CCU within the Habitat Holding Rack (HHR); a CCU within the Space Station Centrifuge will serve as an on-board unit-gravity control.