RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has recorded a major scientific milestone with its astronauts helping to produce a cartilage-repair nanomaterial in space for the first time, building on the work done during the Kingdom’s landmark SSA-HSF1 mission in 2023.

The Saudi Space Agency announced that its astronauts’ involvement in 19 experiments aboard the International Space Station would enhance quality of life on Earth.

The SSA explained that the research, led by scientists Yupeng Chen and Mari Anne Snow, in an international collaboration, focused on developing advanced biomaterials for tissue engineering, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.

Saudi astronaut Rayana Barnawi helped to conduct the experiments and collect data in the microgravity environment. The material produced could assist in tissue treatment and organ transplantation.

The research findings were published in Nature in July 2025, one of the world’s leading scientific journals.

Barnawi said: “Conducting the experiment in space enabled the fabrication of an advanced nanomaterial and the production of reliable data that supports the development of scientific research contributing to improving human life and serving humanity.”

The SSA said the Kingdom wants to maximize the scientific return from human exploration missions for the benefit of the planet.