« Back to Technology Development & Manufacturing
Testing in Harsh Conditions
Testing in Harsh Conditions ONBOARD THE ISS NATIONAL LAB
The external and internal environments of the ISSInternational Space Station enable validation of technologies for spacecraft and Earth use, as well as accelerated material degradation and durability testing in one of the most extreme environments.
At a Glance
The damaging hazards present 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. provide an ideal environment for material durability and accelerated degradation testing.
The radiation environment inside and outside the ISS allows for technologies such as high-performance computing systems to gain flight heritage for other space missions and next generation space stations.
Technology testing and life cycling in the extreme space environment validates critical space technologies and informs design decisions on Earth.
The significant solar radiation outside the ISS enables rigorous testing of energy conversion technologies for Earth and space use.
Low Earth orbit provides a unique environment with several key damaging hazards that cannot be replicated on Earth. The ISS serves as the premier platform to expose materials and technologies to the harsh conditions of space for accelerated degradation and durability testing. Furthermore, the radiation environment inside and outside the ISS provides an ideal environment for flight qualifying technologies such as state-of-the-art computing systems.
Examples of space-based testing in harsh conditions investigations to improve life on Earth include:
Material Stability and Durability:
Exposing materials to the extreme space environment and then returning them to Earth for analysis can provide valuable insight into their potential use for future spacecraft and space structures. Moreover, space exposure can provide accelerated materials degradation testing that can be used to inform design decisions on Earth. There are several damaging hazards in low Earth orbit, including atom oxygen bombardment, thermal cycling, ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, ultra-high vacuum, and the potential for micro-meteoroid impacts.
Energy Conversion and Storage:
The exterior, zenith (solar) facing direction of the ISS provides an ideal opportunity to test the performance and durability of solar cells. In addition, the thermal cycling and other damaging mechanisms present outside of the ISS allow for rigorous testing of energy storage technologies such as solid-state batteries. More durable and efficient energy conversion and storage technologies will aid the clean energy transition on Earth, as well as benefit future low Earth orbit space stations and further space exploration.
Computing:
The radiation environment inside the ISS lends an ideal environment for testing computing technologies in a space radiation environment. In addition, the capability of edge computing on-orbit allows for much higher throughput of science because large sets of raw data can be processed in space, while only sending the relevant information to Earth. Furthermore, flight qualifying state-of-the-art computing systems can significantly reduce risk for next generation space stations, and accelerate the exploration of GEO, the moon, and beyond.
Radiation Hardened Electronics:
Next generation electronics for aerospace applications will require low size, weight, and power (SWAP), low electromagnetic interference (EMI) emissions, and perhaps most importantly, resilience to extreme temperatures and radiation. Low Earth orbit and the exterior ISS facilities provide a rigorous environment for testing such electronics against thermal cycling and radiation, while providing near real time data. Such technologies will be critical in the near future for next generation spacecraft, hypersonic vehicles, and nuclear technologies.
Enabling technologies:
The use of the ISS National Lab to demonstrate the utility and success of new spaceflight technologies for innovative R&D not only maximizes utilization of the ISS but also paves the way for next-generation space platforms enabling more advanced R&D. This will help in-orbit research keep pace with terrestrial technology advancements in laboratory equipment and capabilities.
Testing in the harsh conditions of space through the ISS National Lab allows for the validation and enhancement of technologies under extreme environments, ensuring their reliability and performance for both space and Earth applications.
Examples of recent testing in harsh conditions investigations onboard the ISS National Lab include:
A company demonstrated the reliability of its integrated circuit technology in the extreme space environment outside of the ISS.
A project proved the safe and reliable operation of a commercial of the shelf high performance computing system in the radiation environment of the ISS interior.
A company tested the ability of its proprietary 3D-printed carbon fiber materials to withstand exposure to the damaging mechanisms of the extreme space environment outside of the ISS.
