Human stem cells from Adelaide University’s Centre for Cancer Biology have travelled to the edge of space and back in a landmark mission for Australian cancer research.

The cells launched on October 1 at 8:51 am local time aboard the German Aerospace Center’s MAPHEUS-17 sounding rocket from the Esrange Space Center in Sweden. The mission was led by Adelaide company Cambrian Defense & Space, in partnership with the Centre for Cancer Biology, SSC Space and Blue Dwarf Space.

The rocket reached about 300 kilometres above Earth, giving the cells at least seven minutes of microgravity time. They travelled in a reusable payload kept at about 37 degrees Celsius before returning safely to Earth for recovery and analysis.

Researchers will now study how the cells responded to microgravity and whether the changes reveal new insights into cancer progression and early detection. Microgravity acts as a biological stressor that can expose cellular responses invisible under normal Earth conditions.