Vaccine test marks rise of commercial research in space: NASA

0 Comments | AFP, May, 2008

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (AFP) — An experiment to develop a salmonella vaccine aboard the US space shuttle Discovery could pave the way for a gush of commercial biotechnology research in space, NASA and biotech industry officials said Friday.

Executives of Spacehab Inc. said that if the company's research on salmonella in the weightlessness of space leads to the vaccine, it would demonstrate the financial attractiveness of doing biotechnology research aboard the shuttle and the International Space Station (ISS).

The company will send its test salmonella strain on board the Discovery when it launches on a 14 day mission on Saturday, planned for 5:02 pm (2102 GMT), weather permitting.

Success would show that "the ISS is now open for business," said Thomas...