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On SpaceX CRS‑34 (NET May 12th), the ICE Cubes Service supports three complementary payloads, including TIGERS‑X and Laplace, spanning fundamental space science, scalable biotechnology, and applied life‑science research, and demonstrating the versatility of microgravity experimentation aboard the International Space Station.
TIGERS‑X (Thailand Innovative G‑force Varied Emulsification Research for Space Exploration) is Thailand’s first autonomous medical experiment payload qualified to international space standards. The mission investigates how complex medical fluids, specifically parenteral nutrition solutions composed of glucose, amino acids, and fatty acids, mix and form stable emulsions in microgravity, where surface tension and interfacial forces dominate fluid behaviour. Using an automated lab‑on‑a‑chip microfluidic system equipped with high‑resolution imaging, TIGERS‑X conducts long‑duration orbital experiments to study low‑energy mixing processes relevant to clinical nutrition for spaceflight and advanced medical applications on Earth. Operated inside the ICE Cubes Facility with near‑real‑time ground commanding and no crew involvement during nominal operations, TIGERS‑X builds on prior parabolic‑flight results and advances Thailand’s growing life‑science research activity in space. Read more about the TIGERS-X payload, research and partners here.
Laplace addresses one of planetary science’s most fundamental questions: how microscopic dust grains evolve into planets. The experiment studies the earliest stage of planet formation, when micron‑sized particles collide at very low speeds and stick together to form fragile, porous aggregates inside protoplanetary disks. To reproduce these conditions, Laplace investigates dust clouds suspended in a thin gas atmosphere under sustained microgravity aboard the ISS, eliminating sedimentation and compression effects that dominate on Earth. Using a thermophoretic trap to confine freely moving particles and a dedicated imaging system to continuously record their interactions, Laplace provides long‑duration, in‑situ observations of dust aggregation processes that are otherwise inaccessible, supplying critical data to refine models of planetary system formation. Read more about the Laplace payload, research and partners here.
In addition to TIGERS‑X and Laplace, a third payload joins the ICE Cubes mission on SpaceX CRS‑34. Complementing the mission’s scientific portfolio, this experiment adds another layer to the research activity unfolding aboard the International Space Station and reflects the breadth of innovation supported by the ICE Cubes Facility. Its objectives and partners will soon take the spotlight in a dedicated article, offering a closer look at the ideas and ambitions behind this intriguing newcomer to the ICE Cubes family.
Stay tuned for updates.