September 2023
Welcome to Space Station Spotlight, a new monthly newsletter from the ISS National Laboratory. Here’s where you can find all the latest R&D happenings on the space station, see what our partners are up to, and learn how you can elevate your research to new heights by leveraging the unique space environment.
What’s new at the ISS National Lab?
NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren “Woody” Hoburg, along with United Arab Emirates astronaut Sultan Alneyadi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, spent six months in space conducting critical research for scientists on the ground.
One of those investigations focused on 3D printing a human meniscus (the protective piece of cartilage between the bones in the knee). This was the first successful print of a complete human tissue, and the sample was returned to Earth for analysis.
Through the recently released solicitation Igniting Innovation: Science in Space to Cure Disease on Earth, the ISS National Lab is partnering with NASA’s Biological and Physical Sciences Division to fund cancer research and technology development leveraging the unique conditions of space.
Partner News
Bishop Airlock hosted its first external payload. Designed and built by Nanoracks, a Voyager Space Company, Bishop Airlock hosted Gambit, an external payload designed to test the capabilities of the external platform, which could lead to increased utilization on the ISS.
Axiom Space announced the crew of its third private astronaut mission. Axiom Space is slated to fly its third private astronaut mission to the ISS in January 2024 and recently announced the members of the crew. Read about the multinational crew, led by Michael López-Alegría, here.
Aegis Aerospace launched its 10th MISSE payload to the ISS. Aegis Aerospace successfully launched its 10th MISSE mission, MISSE-18, to the space station. MISSE-18 includes 13 unique experiments. Learn more here.
Space Tango named S. Sita Sonty new CEO. Sonty will succeed Twyman Clements as company CEO, and Clements will take on a new role as company president. Learn more about Sonty, who was previously the head of human spaceflight at SpaceX, here.
LEO Market Update
In a new investment perspective article, ISS National Lab Director of Investment and Economic Analysis Sven Eenmaa provides a capital markets snapshot.
For further insight on fundamental investment perspectives from the space sector, including funding criteria in infrastructure, in-space applications, and services 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., watch the recording of the ISS Research and Development Conference (ISSRDC ) investor panel session.
Funding Opportunities
An ISS National Lab solicitation to advance research on cancer and other diseases attracted record-breaking interest. The concept submission period for the Igniting Innovation research announcement closed on September closed on September 26, and had an overwhelming response. The solicitation, in partnership with NASA’s Biological and Physical Sciences Division, is offering up to $5 million in total funding for multiple translational and transformative research and technology development projects. Learn more here.
Results
The latest issue of Upward, official magazine of the ISS National Lab, delves into exciting results from space-based R&D. Download the issue here.
Read the Upward feature “Heating Things Up in 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.” to see how scientists are leveraging the orbiting laboratory for research that could lead to new ways to improve fire safety on Earth.
Learn how BioServe Space Technologies supported a pioneering experiment that laid the foundation for future space-based cardiovascular stem cell research. BioServe Director Stefanie Countryman and researcher Arun Sharma discussed this groundbreaking investigation—which is featured in the most recent issue of Upward—in a fireside chat at this year’s ISS Research and Development Conference.
