The National Stem Cell Foundation (NSCF), based in Kentucky, is one of the leading organizations funding neurodegenerative disease research on the International Space Station (ISS). They have flown six missions to date with brain organoids (miniature 3D models that mimic how cells behave in the brain) derived from the cells of people with Parkinson’s disease and primary progressive MS.  Without the dampening effect of gravity, cell interactions can be observed in a way not possible on Earth, providing valuable new insight into how these disorders develop and opening the door to potential new cell, drug, and gene therapy options for these and other neurodegenerative diseases that affect tens of millions of people worldwide. NSCF was the first organization in the world to fly brain organoids to space in 2019 and was the first to publish on the accelerated maturation of brain organoids in microgravity, allowing researchers to see in a month on the ISS what might take years to see on the ground. Three additional missions over the next 18 months will include brain organoids derived from the cells of people with Alzheimer’s, including a mutation for early-onset disease. The knock-on effects of this research will have implications for ALS and multiple rare childhood disorders. www.nationalstemcellfoundation.org Images: NASA, SpaceX, Nicolette Pirjanian