Redwire Space, a subsidiary of Redwire Corporation, announced that it has been awarded a 14 million euro contract to design, develop, and qualify the 3D-BioSystem Facility under a programme of and funded by the European Space Agency’s Exploration Programme. The 3D-BioSystem Facility will use cutting-edge 3D bioprinting technologies to create a modular, powerful, and one-of-a-kind system capable of supporting a large number of experiments.
The 3D-BioSystem Facility will be a “one-stop shop” for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, building on Redwire’s legacy of in-space manufacturing and bioprinting on the International Space Station (ISS) for exploration and improving life on Earth.
“We are proud to be developing the 3D-BioSystem to advance critical microgravity bioprinting capabilities. The ability to bioprint cell constructs will be critical for long-duration spaceflight expeditions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond and for sustainable planetary settlements.”
– Erik Masure, Managing Director, Redwire Space NV
Redwire Space to develop 3D-BioSystem Facility
A 3D bioprinter, 3D cell culture units, and an incubator will be included in the system. The 3D-BioSystem will be able to generate samples in orbit, which can then be processed or returned to Earth.
The 3D-BioSystem Facility at Redwire Space NV could be a valuable resource for better understanding cell-to-cell interactions in thick tissue, creating organoids for drug efficacy and toxicity testing, laying the groundwork for printing vascularized tissue, and, in the future, printing transplantable organ patches for tissue therapy. The system will also contribute to European technological independence and competitiveness, which is critical for ensuring space benefits for Earth and expanding the global space economy.
Redwire is a pioneer in the field of microgravity bioprinting. Redwire’s BioFabrication Facility (BFF), a flight-specific 3D bioprinter, is currently operational on the International Space Station. BFF is being used in the BFF-Meniscus-2 study, which will print human knee meniscus using BFF. The study, a collaboration between Redwire and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Centre for Biotechnology, is looking into how space bioprinting could help treat meniscal injuries, which are one of the most common orthopaedic injuries among US military personnel. The 3D-BioSystem Facility, like BFF, has the potential to advance biomedical research in order to improve life on Earth.
Government, institutional, and industrial customers are using Redwire’s extensive and diverse catalogue of equipment and services to conduct microgravity research. On-orbit capabilities of Redwire are advancing biomedical capabilities, advanced materials manufacturing, and plant biology, all in an effort to accelerate scientific discovery and deliver more beneficial products to Earth.
About Redwire: Redwire Corporation is a global leader in mission critical space solutions and high reliability components for the next generation space economy, with valuable intellectual property in solar power generation, 3D printing and manufacturing in space, avionics, critical components, sensors, digital engineering, and space-based biotechnology.
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