Watch CBS News

Stockton Students' Medical Experiment To Be Launched To International Space Station

Follow CBSPHILLY Facebook Twitter

GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP, N.J. (CBS) -- A small group of Stockton University students will see their science experiment launch into space on Friday.

Their experiment, which hopes to enhance medication for patients, will launch to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9.

Record-setting Astronaut Peggy Whitson Retires; Spent 665 Days In Space During 32 Year Career

Two students, sophomore Christina Tallone and freshman Daniel Schneider, worked alongside their faculty mentor, Pamela Cohn, to design an experiment that is contained within small fluid mixing enclosures.

The experiment features drug delivery vehicles that release anti-cancer drugs and insulin.

Chioma Uka, a biochemistry major, helped the team assemble and prepare the experiment for launch.

Robert Lind, a sophomore at Atlantic County Institute of Technology, designed the winning mission patch that will fly with the experiment into space.

Part of the experiment will remain on Stockton's campus as a control.

Stockton University Police Dog Wins Nationwide Detector Dog Competition

For the experiment to be successful, the carriers that enclose the medication must be the same size and shape to safely release a drug to a patient.

Medication that isn't stable and uniform has the potential to cause intensified side effects and dosage spikes, which the team hopes to combat.

The team's theory is that the absence of gravity will help this process of maintaining size and shape.

The weather-dependent launch will stream live on NASA TV.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.