TangoLab

Facility Description

TangoLabs are a reconfigurable experiment ecosystem designed for microgravityThe condition of perceived weightlessness created when an object is in free fall, for example when an object is in orbital motion. Microgravity alters many observable phenomena within the physical and life sciences, allowing scientists to study things in ways not possible on Earth. The International Space Station provides access to a persistent microgravity environment. R&D and pilot manufacturing aboard the International Space Station U.S. National Laboratory (ISSInternational Space Station). The first TangoLab was installed on the ISS in July 2016. The TangoLab architecture is still in use and has been upgraded to offer additional capabilities and features to enable research and manufacturing in space. By simplifying and standardizing many aspects of experiment design and integration, Space Tango makes research and manufacturing in microgravity efficient, affordable, and scalable.

Each TangoLab is a single EXPRESS Rack locker volume with two payload slots, each accommodating one 9U CubeLab. Force air convection, power (12V, 5V, and 3.3V) and USB / Ethernet data are available for hosted payloads. Space Tango provides a CubeLab ICD for developers. TangoLabs have hosted over 270 experiments on the International Space Station. TangoLabs provides power, data, heat rejection, and mechanical interfaces with the ExPRESS Rack to support automated payloads (CubeLabs) housed within.