Santa Claus isn't forgetting the astronauts aboard the International Space Station this Christmas.
The astronauts have been so nice this year, they're getting an entire ship load of presents.
The "sleigh," in this case, is a SpaceX Dragon cargo capsule loaded with 6,500 pounds of supplies and equipment, along with some special holiday treats and Christmas presents from the astronauts' families.
The ship blasted off Tuesday from NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Florida and reached the ISS about 24 hours later on Wednesday morning.
In addition to their holiday surprise, the astronauts also received spacewalk gear, station hardware, computer equipment to replenish the orbiting lab and new science experiments -- including live mice.
The rodents will be monitored as they're exposed to microgravity conditions on orbit, NASA explained, in order to study how age-related functional decline of muscles and bones is associated with the deterioration of various organs.
"In the microgravity environment of space, the aging process is accelerated faster than on Earth, but the mechanism of age-related disorders is not well understood," NASA said. "This research can contribute to a better understanding of the novel mechanisms of mechanical stress sensing and age-related changes of muscles and bones."
Another experiment involves a new cancer study that could improve drug delivery methods as well as manufacturing processes, NASA said. The experiment involves crystallizing a monoclonal antibody that's an active ingredient in a drug that targets multiple cancers.
"Scientists analyze these crystals to learn more about the structure and behavior of the component to create drug formulations that can be administered at a doctor’s office or even at home," NASA explained.
The Dragon spacecraft will remain at the space station for one month before returning to Earth loaded with station hardware and completed microgravity research for analysis by engineers and scientists.
Seven crew members of Expedition 66 are currently abord the ISS, including Russian astronauts Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov, NASA astronauts Mark Vande Hei, Raja Chari, Thomas Marshburn and Kayla Barron, and European Space Agency astronaut Matthias Maurer.
Earlier this month, the ISS surpassed its 21-year milestone of continuous human presence.
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