Huntsville, AL –July 15, 2022 – The SpaceX ISS Cargo Resupply Mission launched on July 14 from Cape Canaveral, Florida successfully transported 19 pieces of hardware designed and manufactured by Teledyne Brown Engineering to be used in the Ring Sheared Drop (RSD) experiment facility aboard the International Space Station (ISS). This experiment studies the formation of the amyloid fibrils that are found in the brain tissues of patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
The cargo on SpX-25 will support two RSD investigations in 2022, to include the original experiment reflight samples for formation of protein aggregates or amyloid fibrils and a new experiment regarding Interfacial Bioprocessing of Pharmaceuticals.
The science hardware developed and integrated by Teledyne Brown Engineering on the SpX-25 mission includes ten frozen sample syringes with protein solution, eight refurbished test cells, and a replacement motor assembly. The Company’s process ensures that the sample syringes remain at precise cold temperatures from laboratory pick-up through launch, on-orbit operations, and finally return to the Principal Investigators in their laboratory, thus preserving the science for post-flight evaluation.
“Our team has contributed countless hours over the last 5 years to support this effort and its success,” stated Scott Hall, President of Teledyne Brown Engineering. “We are dedicated to the mission to support research that one day may lead to advancements in unearthing the mysteries of diseases affecting millions of people across the globe.”
In experiments on Earth, scientists have found that the amyloid fibrils studied in this experiment can be created by shear flow, which is flow resulting from a difference in flow velocity between adjacent layers of a liquid. Teledyne Brown Engineering, working with the science team at Rensselaer Pyrotechnic Institute (RPI) in New York, designed, developed, and integrated RSD on the ISS under contract to NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. RSD consists of a Teledyne Brown Engineering designed and manufactured device which uses the microgravity of space to suspend a one-inch diameter drop of liquid between two rings. One ring rotates while the other is stationary, creating a shear flow in the liquid drop while retaining uniform fluid structure. Microscopes equipped with digital cameras record the data for downlink to scientists on the Earth in near real time. The experiments range from 1 day to 4 days of continuous operations.
About Teledyne Brown Engineering
Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc. is a full-spectrum engineering and advanced manufacturing company with operations in the United States and the United Kingdom. The company provides engineering services, engineered systems and manufactured products to the space, defense and energy markets. Teledyne Brown provides full lifecycle development from concept definition to production and operations. The company has a rich heritage in developing complex systems for space, missile defense, energy and other challenging markets and has more than 600,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space. Find out more about Teledyne Brown Engineering at
www.tbe.com.
About Teledyne Technologies
Teledyne Technologies is a leading provider of sophisticated instrumentation, digital imaging products and software, aerospace and defense electronics, and engineered systems. Teledyne Technologies' operations are primarily located in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Mexico. For more information, visit Teledyne Technologies' website at
www.teledyne.com.
