Human tissues on a chip are headed into space. Tissue chips contain a small network of cells that work like real human organs, and are a safe, compact way for scientists to study the human body.

SpaceX’s Dragon resupply mission launched from Florida yesterday and is currently rocketing toward the International Space Station (ISS). On board are a few dozen chips designed to mimic the immune system — like the kidney-on-a-chip shown here. The missions is led by the National Institute of Health’s National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences.

And the Tissue Chips in Space initiative will give scientists a closer look at the physiological changes that astronauts experience during space missions, such as bone loss and muscle deterioration.Because the changes are akin to aging, the chips will also provide a unique look at what it means to grow older on a cellular level. Additional chips mimicking things like bone and cartilage and the blood-brain barrier are scheduled to launch in March and April of 2019.