ISS National Lab and Private Industry Users Highlighted at U.S. Chamber of Commerce Event
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER (FL), June 6, 2019 – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the International Space Station (ISSInternational Space Station) U.S. National Laboratory, will host a roundtable highlighting the increase in and growing demand for private industry research onboard the orbiting laboratory. During this event, ISS National Lab Chief Strategy Officer Richard A. Leach, Ph.D. will deliver a keynote message focused on industrial demand generation onboard the orbiting research platform. Additionally, a roundtable comprised of multiple ISS National Lab users and in-orbit commercial hardware facility partners will discuss the importance of the ISS National Lab in furthering fundamental and applied science in order to build the business case for industrialization of 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..
This event is scheduled to take place at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce headquarters facility (1615 H St. NW) in Washington, D.C. on Monday, June 10, 2019 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. ET. This policy roundtable will feature keynote remarks from:
- William H. Gerstenmaier, NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration Associate Administrator, Human Exploration and Operations
- Richard A. Leach, Ph.D., Chief Strategy Officer, ISS National Lab
The event will also feature presentations from the following ISS National Lab users and partners:
- Gary Hanning, Director, Global Barley Research, Anheuser-Busch
- Phillippe-Alexandre Gilbert, Ph.D., Head Influenza Next Generation Development, Sanofi
- Jordan Greco, Ph.D., Chief Science Officer, LambdaVision
- Twyman Clements, CEO and Founder, Space Tango
- Kris Kuehnel, Director of Operations, Airbus
- Jack Ickes, Senior Vice President of Geospatial Solutions and International Manufacturing, Teledyne Brown Engineering
In recent years, more than 70% of payloads launched to the ISS National Lab represent projects from private industry. Additionally, 14 commercially operated facilities are currently operating onboard the ISS National Lab, with additional facilities slated to launch this year. These trends demonstrate the value of and increased demand for conducting research and development on the space station. Furthermore, since 2012, the amount of external, non-NASA funds invested into ISS National Lab research is approaching $200M. The ISS National Lab is actively engaged with more than 350 private industry partners, including research customers, hardware facility partners, and space investors, all of whom recognize the power of leveraging the unique environment of the orbiting laboratory for valuable research and development for terrestrial benefit.
From Fortune 500 companies to innovative startups and the growing number of commercially operated facilities on the ISS National Lab, the space station is being utilized in novel and unique ways that demonstrate a tangible return on investment for American taxpayers. The ISS National Lab is continuing to work to spur demand for space-based research and development and enable a robust economy in low Earth orbit.
For more information about the private companies doing business on the ISS National Lab and to learn more about the ISS National Lab’s broad research portfolio, please visit stg-issnationallab-issnldevsite.kinsta.cloud.
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About the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory: In 2005, Congress designated the U.S. portion of the ISS as the nation’s newest national laboratory to optimize its use for improving quality of life on Earth, promoting collaboration among diverse users, and advancing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. This unique laboratory environment is available for use by non-NASA U.S. government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector. The ISS National Lab manages 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. research environment, a powerful vantage point in low Earth orbit, and the extreme and varied conditions of space.
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