International Space Station Extended Until 2024
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL. (January 10th, 2014) – The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (the ISSInternational Space Station National Lab) welcomes announcement that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration) and the Obama Administration have agreed to extend the International Space Station (ISS) until at least 2024. This announcement is a significant moment for the orbiting laboratory which was previously intended to remain operational until at least 2020, providing 10 years to maximize use of the Station the ISS National Lab is responsible for managing and promoting research on board the ISS U.S. National Laboratory.
The ISS is a result of an unprecedented scientific and engineering collaboration between 15 nations, five space agencies and was officially completed in 2011. The ISS is critical to the scientific and research community as it provides a platform for research that cannot be conducted or replicated on Earth. With the ISS extended to 2024, this will allow the ISS National Lab a longer horizon for the development of commercial opportunities and a more robust research portfolio – which are critical in creating a tangible return on investment for the American tax payer.
“The White House and NASA announcement to extend the life of the space station makes clear the importance the ISS orbiting laboratory has for scientific inquiry, and for the nation,” said the ISS National Lab President and Executive Director, Gregory H. Johnson. “This is a significant moment not only for the ISS National Lab, but the aerospace and research communities interested in leveraging this one-of-a-kind asset.”
“The ISS National Laboratory can provide great insights into unchartered territory and also uncover novel uses of already established technologies that could reshape how we all live our lives in the future” said Dr. Andrei Ruckenstein of Boston University, a Director on the the ISS National Lab Board and chair of the Audit and Finance Committee. “A ten year horizon for the continuing operation and utilization of the ISS is invaluable to ensuring that the ISS National Lab and the space-science community have enough time to begin realizing tangible benefits to mankind from the work aboard the National Lab.”
The ISS is our Nation’s only orbiting laboratory capable of conducting research in a variety of disciplines. Research that the ISS National Lab has brokered to date includes investigations in life and bio sciences, materials science, physical science and Earth observation. To learn more about utilizing the ISS National Laboratory, please visit: issnationallab.org
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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 NASA 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. 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 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. 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.
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