Latest Series of National Lab Investigations Berthed to the International Space Station
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL (August 24, 2015) – The most recent series of payloads sponsored by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (the ISSInternational Space Station National Lab) successfully berthed to the International Space Station (ISS) onboard the Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV-5). the ISS National Lab is tasked with managing and promoting research onboard the ISS U.S. National Laboratory.
These ISS National Lab payloads have been delivered in coordination with payload services provider, NanoRacks LLC, a private sector company that operates the only commercial research facility aboard the ISS via a Space Act agreement with NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration. Sponsored payloads that berthed to the ISS on this recent mission include:
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. will be the first commercial platform capable of leveraging the extreme conditions outside of the ISS. After a joint agreement with the ISS National Lab in 2012 on the development of this device, the external platform will provide a variety of ISS National Lab researchers access to the unique environment of space in disciplines such as materials science and biological sciences over the coming years.
NanoRacks-AAUSAT5 will use a student-designed and constructed Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver to track ship signals with a small satellite launched from the ISS. Results will validate the software and hardware for a space-based AIS system, and inspire students to develop a deeper connection to the space program. AAUSAT5 Student Team, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.
NanoRacks-GOMX-3 tests a small satellite with an advanced antenna-pointing system and a variety of communications capabilities. The satellite contains three radios, one of which receives beacons from commercial aircraft to improve air traffic monitoring. Two radios test reception and data downlink in the L-band, used by GPS satellites, and the X-band, used by the military and for weather monitoring, air traffic control and other uses. Principle investigator, Kim ToftHansen, Gomspace, Denmark.
NanoRacks-Planet Labs-Dove is a fleet of nanosatellites deployed from the ISS to take images of Earth from space. The satellites are designed, built and operated by Planet Labs Inc., which provides the imagery to a variety of users. The satellites focus on areas within 52 degrees of Earth’s equator, where most human populations and agricultural areas are located, and they revisit the same areas more frequently than any existing government or commercial satellites. The images have several humanitarian and environmental applications, from monitoring deforestation and urbanization to improving natural disaster relief and agricultural yields in developing nations. Principle investigator, Robbie Schingler, Planet Labs, San Francisco, CA.
“Our partnership with NanoRacks continues to produce new opportunities for commercial users with the goal of leveraging 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., the harsh environment of space, and the unique capabilities of the ISS U.S. National Laboratory,” said the ISS National Lab Director of Operations Ken Shields. “We are especially excited that the External Platform is now on station, and we look forward to working with NanoRacks and the research community on taking advantage of this critical hardware device to unlock further discovery right outside of the station. We already have a robust cadre of payloads that are scheduled to be deployed on the platform during 2016 and we are confident that we will keep the platform busy for years to come.”
“The External Platform is one of the largest private sector investments to date onboard the International Space Station,” said NanoRacks Managing Director Jeffrey Manber. “We are delighted it has reached the station and soon enough will be open for business for a wide range of basic and applied commercial research. We appreciate very much the role of the ISS National Lab as the first and key customer, for the platform.”
To learn more about the capabilities onboard the ISS, please visit: www.spacestationresearch.com
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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 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 NanoRacks: NanoRacks LLC was formed in 2009 to provide commercial hardware and services for the U.S. National Laboratory onboard the International Space Station via a Space Act Agreement with NASA. NanoRacks’ main office is in Houston, Texas, right alongside the NASA Johnson Space Center. The Business Development office is in Washington, DC., and NanoRacks’ now has a new office in Silicon Valley, California.
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