The ISS National Lab and Alpha Space Announce Materials Science and Technology Research Opportunity
Solicitation Provides Researchers an Opportunity to Leverage the Materials International Space Station Flight Facility
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL. (February 1, 2018) – The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (the ISSInternational Space Station National Lab) and Alpha Space Test and Research Alliance, LLC (Alpha Space) are partnering to provide the materials research and technology sectors with an opportunity to access and utilize the Alpha Space Materials International Space Station Flight Facility (MISSE). This Request for Proposals (RFP) will solicit commercial entities, governmental agencies, and academic investigators for flight research projects in the field of materials and technology testing in the extreme environmental conditions of space. Selected project(s) will work with Alpha Space to develop concepts into payloads that will leverage the MISSE platform on the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory. The MISSE Flight FacilityThe Materials International Space Station Experiment Flight Facility is a hardware platform on the exterior of the ISS that provides exposure to the harsh space conditions for the accelerated testing of materials and technologies with important applications both in space and on Earth. This ISS National Lab commercial facility is owned and operated by Aegis Aerospace. is slated to launch to the space station in Spring of 2018.
The MISSE Flight Facility is a commercially-available materials research facility that will reside externally aboard the ISS, offering researchers the ability to test concepts in the extreme environment of space. Applicants will describe using the MISSE Flight Facility (created and managed by Alpha Space) aboard the ISS National Lab for research, development and testing of materials and/or technologies that will lead to Earth-based applications and improve life on our planet.
By leveraging the MISSE Flight Facility externally, researchers can take advantage of temperature variation, atomic oxygen, enhanced radiation exposure, among other factors. Testing on the outside of the space station can have broad impacts to the general academic community, but also multiple industries. Researchers within the field of (but not limited to) advanced manufacturing, automotive, aeronautics, energy and transportation industries are encouraged to submit flight concepts to utilize this facility.
This solicitation will follow a two-step submission process. All interested investigators must complete a Step 1 Proposal. This proposal will be reviewed for operational feasibility and terrestrial benefit. The deadline for Step 1 Proposals is March 1, 2018 at 5pm EST.
A webinar will be conducted on February 20, 2018 from 4:00 to 5:00 PM EST to discuss the benefits of materials science research in space, the MISSE platform, and possible experimental options. Interested participants in the webinar must pre-register through the following site:
“The MISSE Flight Facility will provide a broad spectrum of researchers and industry yet another commercially operated platform aboard the ISS on which they can conduct research and test technologies in the extreme environment of space.” said the ISS National Lab Director of Operations Ken Shields.
“The team at Alpha Space is excited to partner with the ISS National Lab to provide researchers another unique facility to leverage 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. and radiation,” said Alpha Space Owner and President Stephanie Murphy. “The MISSE will provide the ability to test products and experiments in the extreme environments of space, and through this solicitation, we hope to showcase the breadth of synergistic effects and research possible aboard this new platform.”
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To learn more about the MISSE Flight Facility, visit: https://www.alphaspace.com/about-misse-ff.html
To learn more about the ISS National Laboratory, visit: http://www.spacestationresearch.com/
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About the ISS National Lab: The Center for Advancement of Science in Space (the ISS National Lab) is the non-profit organization selected to manage the International Space Station U.S. National Laboratory with a focus on enabling a new era of space research to improve life on Earth. In this innovative role, the ISS National Lab promotes and brokers a diverse range of research in life sciences, physical sciences, remote sensing, technology development, and education.
Since 2011, the International Space Station U.S. National Lab portfolio has included hundreds of novel research projects spanning multiple scientific disciplines, all with the intention of benefitting life on Earth. Working together with NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration, the ISS National Lab aims to advance the nation’s leadership in commercial space, pursue groundbreaking science not possible on Earth, and leverage the space station to inspire the next generation.
About the ISS National Laboratory: In 2005, Congress designated the U.S. portion of the International Space Station as the nation’s newest national laboratory to maximize its use for improving life on Earth, promoting collaboration among diverse users, and advancing STEM education. This unique laboratory environment is available for use by other U.S. government agencies and by academic and private institutions, providing access to the permanent microgravity setting, vantage point 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., and varied environments of space.
About Alpha Space Test and Research Alliance: Alpha Space Test and Research Alliance (Alpha Space) is a woman- and minority-owned advanced technology company serving the Materials Science community with on-orbit, real-time pure materials science research. Alpha Space’s program, MISSE, is the first facility in the world to offer pure materials science research to the commercial sector. MISSE provides unparalleled testing and data collection for both passive and active material samples in the extreme environment of low earth orbit with sample return to earth for post-mission processing.
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