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On Sunday morning, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Cape Canaveral, carrying NASA’s 33rd commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Packed inside the Dragon cargo spacecraft are more than 5,000 pounds of science, food, and hardware, including new experiments that will test new uses for 3D printing in space.
Dragon is now on its way to the station and is expected to dock after 6 a.m. on Monday, August 25. Once it arrives, NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Jonny Kim will help unload equipment that could bring new ways to make parts, medical devices, and even living tissues in orbit.
NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Jonny Kim will monitor the arrival of the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft from the International Space Station. Image courtesy of NASA.
“Commercial resupply missions to the International Space Station deliver science that helps prove technologies for Artemis lunar missions and beyond,” said acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy. “This flight will test 3D printing metal parts and bioprinting tissue in microgravity – technology that could give astronauts tools and medical support on future Moon and Mars missions.”
NASA’s SpaceX 33rd commercial resupply mission launched on the company’s Dragon spacecraft on the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to deliver research and supplies to the ISS. Image courtesy of NASA.
One of the highlights of this mission is a new round of work with the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Metal 3D Printer, which is already aboard the ISS. Astronauts first used it in 2024 to print small stainless-steel parts, the first time metal had ever been manufactured in orbit.
For this mission, Dragon is delivering the printing materials and test plans needed to continue the research. Astronauts will use the printer to create several small cubes, each made with different printing strategies, as well as two small spacecraft nozzles. These will be compared with identical parts printed on Earth to see how microgravity affects strength and quality. The goal is to refine techniques for producing strong, reliable parts directly in space, which is a super important step for long missions far from Earth.
ESA’s metal 3D printer aboard the ISS is to gain experience with operating and evaluating the manufacturing of spare parts in microgravity to support long-duration space missions. Image courtesy of NASA.
Also launching aboard Dragon is the Auxilium Bioprinter, developed by Auxilium Biotechnologies, a San Diego–based regenerative medicine company. The device is part of NASA’s In-Space Production Applications (InSPA) program, which supports companies testing whether products can be made more effectively in microgravity than on Earth.
Auxilium Bioprinter. Image courtesy of Auxilium Biotechnologies.
Once installed on the ISS, the bioprinter will be used to create implantable devices designed to help damaged nerves regrow. Called “nerve bridges,” these tiny scaffolds are meant to guide regrowth across gaps that occur after traumatic injuries. On Earth, such injuries are difficult to treat, and current methods often fail to restore full movement or sensation.
The InSPA-Auxilium Bioprinter will test 3D printing medical implant devices designed to deliver drugs and treat various health conditions, such as nerve injuries. Image courtesy of NASA.
In microgravity, researchers expect these delicate structures to come together with higher precision and quality than they do on Earth. During this mission, astronauts plan to print up to 18 nerve-bridge implants on station. The samples will later be returned to Earth for preclinical trials in 2026 and 2027, where scientists will test whether they can accelerate recovery and preserve physical function. If successful, the technology could provide astronauts with on-demand medical treatments during long missions and offer patients on Earth a new option for repairing nerve injuries.
The mission is also carrying an experiment from the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) called Maturation of Vascularized Liver Tissue Construct in Zero Gravity (MVP Cell-07). For this study, researchers bioprinted small pieces of liver tissue containing blood vessels on Earth, and Dragon is delivering these samples to orbit. Once on the ISS, scientists will study how the tissue develops in microgravity.
MVP Cell-07 is a biotechnology experiment studying bioprinted, or lab-grown, liver tissues complete with blood vessels in space. Image courtesy of NASA.
This work builds on a previous mission that showed the tissue could survive and function in space. The next step is to learn whether microgravity actually improves the way blood vessels form inside the tissue, a key step for building larger, functional organs. If successful, the results could one day be a game-changer for astronaut health during long missions. If we can learn how to bioprint tissue that heals or even replaces damaged organs, it could provide lifesaving treatments in space. On Earth, the research could open the door to creating transplantable organs in the lab, helping patients with liver disease or injury.
Team Winston, the first-place winner of NASA’s Vascular Tissue Challenge, used a chamber to hold the printed tissue and test perfusion. Image courtesy of WFIRM.
It has been years since astronauts first began testing what 3D printing can do in space. The first plastic tool printed on the ISS was a simple wrench back in 2014. Since then, crews have tried out spare parts, tools, and even food-related prints.
Now the experiments are moving into more sci-fi territory: metals and even living tissues. The idea is that instead of packing every possible item before launch, astronauts could one day bring printers and raw materials, making what they need on site.
After all, the ISS is a test bed for technologies that will be key for humanity once it travels to the Moon and Mars. Long missions could have plenty of challenges, including broken equipment, medical emergencies, and the need to become autonomous from Earth’s resupply. 3D printing is one of the answers to many of these problems.
Meanwhile, on Earth, there will be plenty of benefits as well. Advances in space bioprinting could speed up progress toward lab-grown organs. Metal printing research could help make parts more efficiently and with less resources.
Interested viewers can watch the live coverage of the spacecraft’s arrival that will begin at 6 a.m., Monday, August 25, on NASA+, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and other platforms.
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