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Partner with ISS National Lab
Partnering for Innovation
The International Space Station, the most significant global collaboration in human history, is a thriving proving ground for a variety of partnerships in research and development, STEM education, and commercial space.
The ISSInternational Space Station National Lab enables flexible partnership models that allow organizations to leverage the unique attributes of the ISS that are most relevant to their mission. These include research competitions, investment opportunities, STEM education programs, and commercial services opportunities. All types of organizations can now join in the business of space through these novel pathways made possible by the ISS National Laboratory.
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Accelerator-Program Partnerships
Since 2013, CASIS(Abbreviation: CASIS™) The nonprofit organization that manages the ISS National Lab, which receives at least 50 percent of the U.S. research allocation on the International Space Station to facilitate research that benefits humanity (NASA manages the other 50% and focuses on research for space exploration purposes). has partnered with business accelerator programs to explore how research and technology development in low Earth orbit(Abbreviation: LEO) The orbit around the Earth that extends up to an altitude of 2,000 km (1,200 miles) from Earth’s surface. The International Space Station’s orbit is in LEO, at an altitude of approximately 250 miles. might give startup companies a competitive edge. Through participation in programs such as MassChallenge (a leading international business accelerator) and Rice Business Plan Competition (in partnership with Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship), as well as regular interactions with several others, the ISS National Lab serves as a business incubator—providing a path for entrepreneurs to improve their products or services and shorten time to market.
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Conducting Research on the ISS
R&D onboard the ISS National Lab offers an unparalleled opportunity to investigate how gravity and the extreme environment of space influence observations in the physical and life sciences to advance human knowledge and commercial pursuits.
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Sponsor Research
Sponsored programs allow an organization the flexibility to ask new questions and explore key variables, using the space environment as a tool in their innovation portfolio. The ISS National Lab sponsored program model has been successfully used by Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and regional incubators.
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Becoming an Implementation Partner
Want to join in the exciting business of space? Implementation partners are a critical part of a growing marketplace in low Earth orbit. As access to space and demand for low Earth orbit services has increased, new businesses have emerged to support the needs of a wide range of customers. Learn more about becoming a hardware or services provider for the ISS National Lab.
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Public-Private Sponsorships
The ISS National Lab is a great example of a public-private partnership model that is working in space. The ISS National Lab opens up the incredible possibilities of the space station research environment to a diverse range of researchers, entrepreneurs, and innovators that could create entirely new markets in space. Learn more.
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STEM Education Activities
Get involved with partner programs, or use existing resources in your classroom or with your own kids! Our Space Station Explorers site has partnered with several organizations to create educational programs for educators and students to participate in.