CASIS Cooperative Agreement with NASA to Manage the ISS National Lab Extended Through 2027

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER (FL), September 15, 2022 – Since 2011, the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, Inc. (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 managed the International Space Station (ISSInternational Space Station) National Laboratory through a Cooperative AgreementA cooperative agreement is Federal assistance that establishes a relationship between the U.S. Government and a recipient in which the principal purpose of the relationship is to accomplish a public purpose of support or stimulation.  Since 2011, the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space™ (CASIS™) has managed the National Laboratory® through a Cooperative Agreement with NASA. with NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration. This week, NASA announced the extension of this Cooperative Agreement for CASIS to manage the ISS National Lab through 2027.

The ISS National Lab was established through an act of U.S. Congress with the intention of opening access and opportunity for researchers to leverage the unique space-based environment of the orbiting platform to bring value to humanity and enable a robust market 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..

To date, more than 500 sponsored payloads, representing more than 600 investigations, have launched to the space station while CASIS has managed the ISS National Lab. Additionally, more than $260 million in external, non-NASA funding, including funding from other government agencies and private-sector companies, has been committed in support of ISS National Lab-sponsored investigations.

The ISS National Lab has also been instrumental in supporting technology development and validation of commercial facilities onboard the orbiting laboratory. Upon assuming management of the ISS National Lab in 2011, there were two commercially owned and operated facilities on station. Now, there are 24 commercial facilities available to researchers through the ISS National Lab that are owned and operated by Commercial Service Providers. The availability of these facilities furthers business models in space while providing additional research capabilities that lead to breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity. To date, close to $1.8 billion in cumulative funding has been raised by startup companies following ISS National Lab-sponsored flight projects.

“We thank NASA for extending this Cooperative Agreement with CASIS as managers of the ISS National Lab through 2027,” said Ray Lugo, CASIS chief executive officer. “The extension of this Cooperative Agreement demonstrates confidence from our partners at NASA in our organization’s ability to manage this critical public-service enterprise for our nation. As an organization, we are incredibly proud of the accomplishments that have been made onboard the space station during our tenure overseeing the ISS National Lab, and we look forward to working with NASA and the burgeoning space community as we seek innovative solutions that will further the decade of results on this one-of-a-kind research laboratory.”

To learn more about the ISS National Lab and the science it supports, please visit our website.

Media Contact:       
Patrick O’Neill
904-806-0035
PONeill@ISSNationalLab.org

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About the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory: The International Space Station (ISS) is a one-of-a-kind laboratory that enables research and technology development not possible on Earth. As a public service enterprise, the ISS National Lab allows researchers to leverage this multiuser facility to improve life on Earth, mature space-based business models, advance science literacy in the future workforce, and expand a sustainable and scalable market in low Earth orbit. Through this orbiting national laboratory, research resources on the ISS are available to support non-NASA science, technology and education initiatives from U.S. government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, Inc. (CASIS) manages the ISS National Lab, under Cooperative Agreement with NASA, facilitating access to its permanent 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. research environment, a powerful vantage point in low Earth orbit, and the extreme and varied conditions of space. To learn more about the ISS National Lab, visit issnationallab.org.

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