The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft transported 3D bioprinted bandages to the International Space Station, in its latest resupply operation, as part of a cargo shipment that had over 2,900 kilograms of various items and scientific experiments on board.  

The Spacecraft was launched on Tuesday at 5:07 am from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and docked at the space station around 4:30 am on December 22. It will remain there for about a month.

In a press release, NASA revealed on its website the bioprinting technology that uses viable cells and biological molecules to create tissue structures that would help wounds heal while keeping them safe in a space environment. 

“On human space exploration missions, skin injuries need to be treated quickly and effectively,” says Project Manager Michael Becker from the German Space Agency at DLR. 

“Mobile bioprinting could significantly accelerate the healing process,” he added, emphasizing the importance of the benefits of this technology, not only in space but also in personalized medicine on Earth.

The technology requires taking cells from a patient’s own skin and creating a tissue-forming patch that could be used in covering the injury and speeding the healing process.

“The body's own cells can be extracted from blood and fatty tissue before the mission, and an immediate treatment could be achieved without any time delay—in case of an emergency,” NASA authors wrote.

NASA is still experimenting with the technology, and researchers plan to include it in future missions to the Moon and Mars.