the ISS National Lab Announces Grant Awards for Materials Science

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL. (March 21, 2013) – The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (the ISSInternational Space Station National Lab), the nonprofit organization promoting and managing research onboard the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory, today announced grant awards totaling $400,000 for two projects from its recent Request for Proposals (RFP) titled “Materials Testing in the Extreme Environment of Space.”

The RFP sought to identify projects within the field of materials science that could make use of the physical and chemical properties influenced by 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., atomic oxygen, low pressure and/or vast temperature variations. The selected experiments will use the NanoRacks External Platform(Abbreviation: NREP) A platform that on the exterior of the ISS that provides power and a data connection and enables payloads to operate in the harsh space environment. This ISS National Lab commercial facility is owned and operated by Nanoracks., which allows exposure to the extreme conditions of space for development and testing of new materials, components and systems.

Grant awardees include:

• Kathleen Morse, Ph.D., from Advanced Materials Applications, LLC, who will focus on using the Gumstix™ Computer On Module in ground and space-based radiation studies to examine fault-tolerant computers to meet the intensive demands of current and next generation satellites and space missions.

• W. Jud Ready, Ph.D., from the Georgia Institute of Technology, who will focus on further developing cost-effective, energy-efficient photovoltaic cells made of lightweight carbon nanotubes. Past work, which began in 2011, successfully demonstrated an increased efficiency in capturing photons and creating energy. The technology is expected to be in commercially available products in fall 2013.

Final award of grant money is contingent upon the acceptance of legal terms and conditions between recipients and the ISS National Lab.

“The involvement of the ISS National Lab in the External Platform Program has opened the door to commercial utilization of the space environment far faster than previously possible,” said NanoRacks Managing Director Jeff Manber. “We are delighted to partner with the ISS National Lab in this new era of utilization on the International Space Station.”

“Today’s announcement further demonstrates the ability of the ISS National Lab to fund research to utilize the ISS National Lab,” said the ISS National Lab Interim Executive Director Jim Royston. “the ISS National Lab is excited about the ability to take advantage of the NanoRacks External Platform and fund opportunities to not only utilize the inside of the station but also promote experiments conducted outside in the extreme environment of space.”

For additional information about the ISS National Lab opportunities, including instructions on submitting a proposal, continue to check the the ISS National Lab solicitations site: issnationallab.org/solicitations.

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About the ISS National Lab: The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (the ISS National Lab) was selected by NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration in July 2011 to maximize use of the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory through 2020. the ISS National Lab is dedicated to supporting and accelerating innovations and new discoveries that will enhance the health and wellbeing of people and our planet. The the ISS National Lab goal is to bring the magic of space down to earth. For more information, visit issnationallab.org.

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. The ISS National Laboratory Office at NASA’s Johnson Space Center currently facilitates research initiatives on board the station’s National Lab, but management of America’s only in-orbit laboratory is transitioning to the ISS National Lab.