Space LiinTech, a pharmaceutical company specializing in space medicine, announced on the 9th that its space medicine research module 'BEE-PC1' successfully arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) on the 25th of last month and is currently conducting space medicine experiments in a microgravity environment.
BEE-PC1 was launched from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, USA, at 2:45 a.m. (Eastern Time) on the 24th of last month through SpaceX's 33rd Commercial Resupply Services mission (CRS-33), and is performing space medicine experiments aboard the space station for the first time in Korea.
Currently operational in the ISS, BEE-PC1 is an automated space medicine research platform that performs protein crystal growth processes through an unmanned automated system, unlike previous space biology experiments that relied on manual intervention by astronauts.
This space experiment will open the way to directly obtain high-precision protein structure data that was difficult to secure on the ground, and is expected to mark a new turning point in the development of anticancer drugs and treatments for untreatable diseases. In fact, global pharmaceutical corporations are achieving innovative results using data obtained from the space station for improving antibody anticancer formulations and developing diabetes treatments.
The data collected during the approximately four-month BEE-PC1 ISS experiment will be analyzed in collaboration with the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) and is expected to be utilized as key material for the development of next-generation lung cancer treatments.
Yoon Hak-soon, CEO of Space LiinTech, noted, "This research marks a historic moment for Korea's bio research as it expands from the ground to space," adding that "the new scientific achievements that can be obtained in a microgravity environment will provide innovative means to overcome limitations in developing treatments for diseases such as cancer and dementia, greatly contributing to enhancing the international competitiveness of domestic pharmaceutical companies."
Jeffrey Manber, president of Voyager Technologies responsible for the International Space Station, stated, "We welcome the entrance of the BEE-PC1 module utilizing Voyager's space station research platform infrastructure," and added, "Our goal is to drive advancements in medicine and technology in collaboration with innovative corporations like Space LiinTech, solving the challenges on Earth."
Space LiinTech explained that ongoing support programs such as the Nuri rocket's 4th and 5th launches by the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) and opportunities for international cooperation networking have greatly aided this research outcome. The company also received investment from the 'Company K New Space Fund' established in October 2024.
Additionally, in November, it was selected as the lead company for the Ministry of Health and Welfare and Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI)'s K-health Future Promotion Group project titled 'Overcoming Medical Challenges through Innovative Medical Technology Development in Space (I-BTS-UP Mission PM Jo Young-jae),' which will proceed over a period of four years and six months with about 9 billion won, focusing on drug research and development as well as demonstration utilizing the microgravity environment of the space station.