Crystals made in space may be the medicines of the future

The key to a new generation of cancer treatments, capable of saving lives, can be in space -grown crystals. Colorado -based startup is almost ready to launch its reusable space plane, Dream Chaser.

Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser spacecraft is prepared to lead to orbit (and bring back) a 3D printer designed by engineers of the pharmaceutical giant.

If the test goes well and the Dream Chaser reentry process in the earth’s atmosphere is sufficiently smooth to maintain fragile safety loadthis may be the beginning of something very big.

Merck’s device will print, in orbit, microscopic crystals that can open the door to the development of a new generation of medical treatments.

When we talk about spatial crystalsit may seem that this is something that an astrology lover would hang in his room to help him sleep; But there is really a science behind.

According to the, the crystals cultivated in the space are simply better: “Scientists hypothesize that the benefits observed result from a slower and uniform of molecules in a crystalline structure in micro gravity ”.

Research on monoclonal antibodies points to crystallization as a fundamental process for the development of mechanisms Most stable subcutaneous administration.

Theoretically, the expensive chemotherapy sessions could be replaced by injections that the patient could Self administer at home.

Like Science fictionBut in fact the research on spatial crystals began in the early 1980s, first on timely spatial flights and, punctually, in the spacetime.

Or mythical spatial It was, in the last two decades of the twentieth century, considered the Low cost orbital carrier of the United States, but this was never the case. The costs that NASA had as a mission exceeded an estimated value of $ 1.5 billion.

The process was so too expensive, even in the pharmaceutical industry, where quarterly profits often reach seven or more digits.

The recent rise of and other competitors substantially reduced these costs, lowering the cost of shipping loads for the space for a miser value of $ 2,000 per kilogram.

However, the resolution of this problem only does not help solve the main problem, the reentry: It is necessary to bring the medicines Back to Earth. If we go to the orbit just to cultivate some ultra thin structures, we don’t want them to go to pieces on their return.

In conversation with, Tom Marshburn Explain: “It’s like a collision by car at a speed of 32 km/h against the ground, ”regarding the landing experience of a capsule such as Dragon, the Spacex ship.

Tom Marshburn is one of the main astronauts of and vice president of the company. Before that, he was NASA astronaut and has already flew on Space Shuttle, Soyuz and Dragon.

Sierra and its reusable aircraft, Dream Chaser, are now prepared for solve the two problems, cost and return, at once.

Easy reentry

O Dream Chaser tem Some important advantages Regarding NASA’s original space -space.

For starters, it is visibly smaller than the shuttleabout 1/4 of length, and it is up to the load compartment of a ULA Vulcan rocket (United Launch Alliance), without the need to have 2 different types of tanks, liquid and solid fuel thrusters and the infinity of specialized equipment – which frustrated any hope of return profitability.

Unlike the old shuttle, Dream Chaser does not need a track with 5 km: “He can make a landing accurately anywhere where a 737 can land, A track about 2 km”, diz Marshburn.

However, the biggest change is that the ship will not take crew on board. – At least for now.

Dream Chaser was born from the program “Commercial Crew Transportation Capabilities” (), a competition that also included Spacex Dragon capsule and Boeing’s Starliner capsule. NASA selected two winnersand Sierra Space had a “luck” to be in third place.

However, NASA believes that the project has potential and offered sufficient orbital load contracts to make worth relating the Dream chaser.

According to the US agency, Dream Chaser’s design offers some advantages, especially when there is a strong chance of entering an era focused on spatial exploration by the business sector.

“A capsule like Spacex Dragon, due to the laws of physics and its form, can only re -enter with half of what it takes”, Meagan Crawfordfounder and managing partner of.

The potential of micro gravity

For now, the project with Merck is a proof of concept: A 3D printer with a series of tubes and capsules. When you get to ISS, an astronaut will spin some valves and then the resulting mixture of the process will be transported back to Earth to be examined by someone from Merck.

Marshburn explains that charges brought by Dragon or Soyuz often pass days in boats or trucks until they can be recovered; Dream Chaser, on the contrary, was designed to load is unloadable just one hour after landing.

Merck’s test will try to make a soft landing and the rapid recovery of the load, in order to ensure that the project has potentialalthough ISS is about to be deactivated: by the end of the decade, it will be discontinued, and a special Spacex Dragon will seek it to your orbit and bring it back to the earthwhere you will find your place of eternal rest at the bottom of the Pacific.

To combat this problem, Sierra Space is positioning its own inflatable orbital modules as a Commercial alternativethat is not stuck to the future of ISS.

The development of space drugs is not the only letter in Sierra’s sleeve, which is also working in a partnership with Honda to take a state -of -the -art fuel cell to the space.

Dream Chase is limited to cargo transportation, but project advances can reopen the doors to the Transport of human beingssays Marshburn: “At any time, we can enjoy the work already done to rethink it.”

The first Dream Chaser is now going through NASA’s final tests – waiting for ISS to go to ISS later this year.