(Reuters) – The International Space Stations will welcome its first Chinese experiment, which is to be delivered aboard SpaceX’s Dragon cargo spacecraft.
The Dragon is scheduled to be launched on Thursday from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The launch is to be done by SpaceX, a United States commercial aerospace manufacturer and transport services company.
Scientists from Beijing Institute of Technology, a renowned university in China, are responsible for checking and assembling the experimental apparatus.
“The Dragon spacecraft will carry a payload for us to the ISS, so that our experiment can be conducted. We hope to clearly know the rules of gene mutagenesis in a space environment through the experiment,” said Deng Yulin, the dean of the School of Life Science under the Beijing Institute of Technology.
“Actually in 2011, we discovered some new phenomena with the help of Shenzhou-8. We want to have further confirmation and understanding about the rules of gene mutagenesis influenced by a space environment,” Deng added.
The experiment is assisted by the NanoRacks, a US company that caters to scientific endeavors in space.
Meanwhile, scientists will complete checks and the assembling of experimental apparatus at the Space Life Sciences Lab under Space Florida, an aerospace economic development agency in the state.
“We really welcome [scientists from] Beijing Institute of Technology. They prove themselves to be true scientist and dedicated people who are determined to yield some critical results from their research,” said Tony Gannon, the director of the Commercial Development Department under Space Florida.
The Dragon spacecraft will be carried by Falcon 9, a two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX for the transport of satellites and spacecraft.
The latest launch window will be Thursday evening and the Chinese experiment will last for about one month on the ISS.
This commercial space cooperation is also deemed significant for China and the US after a decades-long freeze in collaboration.