Partnering for Innovation

The ISS National Lab offers adaptable partnership models, providing organizations, companies, and academic institutions the ability to utilize the unique features of the ISS that best align with their goals. Opportunities include research competitions, investment prospects, STEM education initiatives, and commercial services. These innovative pathways enable all types of organizations to engage in space-related ventures through the ISS National Laboratory.

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Accelerator-Program Partnerships

Since 2013, 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 partnered with business accelerator programs to explore how research and technology development 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. might give startup companies a competitive edge. Through participation in programs such as MassChallenge (a leading international business accelerator), the ISSInternational Space Station National Lab serves as a business incubator—providing a path for entrepreneurs to improve their products or services and shorten time to market.

NASA Astronaut Peggy Whitson working with the Minus Eighty Laboratory Freezer for ISS 1 (MELFI-1) in the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM).

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Conducting Research on the ISS

R&D onboard the ISS National Lab offers an unparalleled opportunity to investigate how gravity and the extreme environment of space influence observations in the physical and life sciences to advance human knowledge and commercial pursuits.

The Pushing the Limits of Silica Fillers for Tire Applications (Goodyear Tire) investigation evaluates creation of novel silica forms and structures, or morphologies, using traditional techniques to form silica fillers in microgravity — Media Credit: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company

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Sponsor Research

Sponsored programs allow an organization the flexibility to ask new questions and explore key variables, using the space environment as a tool in their innovation portfolio. The ISS National Lab sponsored program model has been successfully used by Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and regional incubators.

Photographic documentation taken during installation of Space Tango MultiLab Locker (TangoLab-2).

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Becoming an Implementation Partner

Want to join in the exciting business of space? Implementation partners are a critical part of a growing marketplace in low Earth orbit. As access to space and demand for low Earth orbit services has increased, new businesses have emerged to support the needs of a wide range of customers. Learn more about becoming a hardware or services provider for the ISS National Lab.

The International Space Station (ISS) 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.

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Public-Private Sponsorships

The ISS National Lab is a great example of a public-private partnership model that is working in space. The ISS National Lab opens up the incredible possibilities of the space station research environment to a diverse range of researchers, entrepreneurs, and innovators that could create entirely new markets in space. Learn more.

Cumberland County students during their visit to Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex. — Media Credit: RTI

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STEM Education Activities

Get involved with partner programs, or use existing resources in your classroom or with your own kids! Our Space Station Explorers site has partnered with several organizations to create educational programs for educators and students to participate in.