ICE Cubes by Aerospace Applications North America, Inc.

The International Commercial Experiment Cubes – ICE Cubes – service is a fast and affordable opportunity to access the ISS for scientific and technological research, and for educational purposes.  ICE Cubes offers an end-to-end service to transform ideas into a ready-to-fly experiment. We help define requirements, we support technical development and test verification, and we arrange for launch and safety certification.

The ICE Cubes service allows any researcher or entity to directly develop and conduct their project in space.

• The service streamlines the development process and removes as much as possible the barriers related to accessibility, paperwork, planning, and budget uncertainties for users
• Users can develop their own experiments, according to a specific set of interface and safety requirement documents
• Users can directly operate their experiment from their premises over the Internet and remain in control of their experiments and results

ISS-Certified Hardware:

The ICE Cubes facility, which is operational on the ISS Columbus module, is a capable experiment platform that offers flexibility and modularity to host many different experiments. During flight, users are able to have real-time telemetry and telecommanding capabilities with their experiment (hardware ensured security) from any location with an Internet connection.

ICE Cubes experiments can be accommodated in different sizes. Once launched to the ISS, ICE Cubes experiments are installed in their dedicated platform inside the Columbus module, from which they receive all the necessary resources, such as power and commanding access. Once it is time to start an experiment, the ICE Cubes Mission Control Center activates it and allows users to directly monitor and control it in real-time from wherever they like.

List of Services:

ICE Cubes service main differentiators:

• ICE Cubes service customers are provided with an out-of-the-box software suite which allows for real-time interaction capability at any time (24/7) and from any place with an Internet connection using standard Internet protocols
• ICE Cubes allows for accommodating and controlling payloads free floating in the Columbus module with wireless connection to the ICE Cubes facility, allowing to test technologies for guidance & navigation algorithms, collision avoidance, formation flying, docking & berthing mechanisms, capturing of non-cooperative bodies, sloshing, …
• High data rate (4Mbps downlink, 0.5 Mbps uplink), high data storage capability and high power capability
• Establishing specific diagnostics capability for focus R&D areas such as pharmaceutical, biotechnology & food, cosmetics, soft matter & coating, among others
• The ICE Cubes service is a platform-independent space-access provider for research, technology, and education.
• The Experiment Cubes are easy to install and remove, come in different sizes and can be built with commercial off-the-shelf components