Saudi Arabia has launched the first biological samples from the Middle East to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX CRS-35. Led by the Saudi Space Agency and KAUST, the BioGravity-1 mission initiates a long-term research program examining cellular responses to microgravity to advance studies into Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis.
Saudi Arabia has sent its first biological samples from the Middle East into orbit, marking a significant milestone for regional life sciences research. According to the Saudi Press Agency, the samples launched as part of the BioGravity-1 mission aboard a SpaceX resupply flight bound for the International Space Station.
Partnership Between the Saudi Space Agency and KAUST
The launch is led jointly by the Saudi Space Agency and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. It represents the opening phase of a long-term research initiative designed to investigate neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis, according to reporting from the Saudi Press Agency. NASA, Axiom Space and the National Stem Cell Foundation also provided support for the flight, which utilized the SpaceX CRS-35 mission.
Saudi Arabia has launched the first biological samples from the Middle East to space aboard the ISS-bound BioGravity-1 mission. Researchers will use microgravity to study aging, Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis. https://t.co/oU9YVbFWQS pic.twitter.com/O84aqyckDw
Rayyanah Barnawi, a Saudi astronaut and the general supervisor of microgravity research at the Saudi Space Agency, stated that the launch demonstrates the Kingdom’s expanding capabilities in advanced scientific studies.
The BioGravity program aims to translate findings from orbit into research opportunities that could deepen understanding of diseases and help support the development of future treatments.
Rayyanah Barnawi, general supervisor of microgravity research at the Saudi Space Agency and Saudi astronaut
Testing Disease Models in Microgravity
BioGravity-1 seeks to establish a scientific baseline by sending healthy donor biological samples into a microgravity environment. Researchers intend to observe how cells react to conditions impossible to replicate on Earth, focusing on biological changes associated with aging and neurological diseases. KAUST developed two specific experiments for the mission, designated SSA-1 and SSA-2.
KAUST bioscience professor and project lead Imed Gallouzi noted that the flight gives scientists the opportunity to test disease models in microgravity, which bolsters the university’s research contributions for patients both within Saudi Arabia and internationally.
The initiative also involves the U.S.-based National Stem Cell Foundation. Pinar Mesci, a scientific adviser to the foundation and global head of biomanufacturing and biotechnology at Axiom Space, explained that researchers are testing the Brain Organoid Village
concept in microgravity for the first time.
Mesci added that combining multiple cell lines within a single organoid opens the door to population-level studies, allowing scientists to perform what she termed clinical trials in a dish.
Biological samples from Saudi Arabia are integrated into the project through cooperation between the Saudi Space Agency and KAUST.
Three-Mission Roadmap Under Vision 2030
The overarching BioGravity program spans three missions. While the first mission centers on healthy reference samples, the second will analyze models derived from patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis, and a third mission will evaluate therapeutic responses and investigate potential drug targets in microgravity, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
This scientific push forms part of the Saudi Space Agency’s broader strategy to broaden life sciences research, foster international partnerships, and advance innovation-driven economic growth under Vision 2030.
