The International Space Station National Laboratory and Privateer Announce Data and Information Sharing Partnership for Growing Space Community

SEATTLE (WA), August 3, 2023 – The International Space Station (ISSInternational Space Station) National Laboratory and Privateer Space, a leader in space decision intelligence and data infrastructure, announced a partnership to bring additional resources to the growing space economy. The announcement was made during a session at the annual ISS Research and Development Conference (ISSRDC(Abbreviation: ISSRDC) The only conference dedicated exclusively to showcasing how the International Space Station is advancing science and technology and enabling a robust and sustainable market in LEO. This annual conference brings together leaders from the commercial sector, U.S. government agencies, and academic communities to foster innovation and discovery onboard the space station. ISSRDC is hosted by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, manager of the ISS National Lab; NASA; and the American Astronautical Society.) focused on companies innovating within the space landscape.

In 2022, Privateer developed Wayfinder, a free online tool that provides real-time data of satellite and debris visualization in space. The platform can be used by interested partners and agencies, as well as the general public, to keep space safe and accessible. Wayfinder can also serve as a marketplace for low-cost access to a variety of global remote sensing data to improve life on Earth.

The Privateer team has coordinated with the ISS National Lab to develop a white label version of Wayfinder that will be housed on the ISS National Lab website, providing space traffic information to those interested in leveraging the orbiting laboratory for research purposes. Through this partnership, the ISS National Lab seeks to provide additional information on the space station for incorporation into the tool, including crew and launch schedules, research investigations being done on station, and more.

“Open access to ISS tracking, telemetry, and mission knowledge is pivotal; it’s the key to global collaboration, education, and transparency in space, uniting us all in pursuit of scientific discovery,” said Privateer Chief Executive Officer Alex Fielding. “We’re thrilled to share this partnership with the ISS National Lab, which perfectly fits our mission to grow the benefits to Earth from a sustainable space environment.”

Through this partnership with Privateer, the ISS National Lab hopes to make space traffic information more readily available to the expanding space economy. “As the space community continues to grow, it is important that we do so in a manner that allows for safe and consistent flow of space traffic,” said ISS National Lab Chief Operating Officer Francisco Cordova. “This partnership will allow for the ISS National Lab community to leverage tools that will provide awareness on activity 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 beyond while also expanding insight into how space station research and technology development is bringing benefit to humanity.”

To learn more about ISS National Lab-sponsored research and view current research announcements, please visit our solicitations webpage.

More information on Privateer can be found here.

Download a high-resolution photo for this release: Privateer Space’s Wayfinder Dashboard

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(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).) manages the ISS National Lab, under 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, 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 our website.

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