NASA Moves Forward With International Space Station National Laboratory

Sep 12, 2011 | Benefits of Space Exploration, Canadian Space Agency, Commercial Space, Education, European Space Agency, International Space Station, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), NASA, Roscosmos, Space and Science, Space Research

Portions of the International Space Station designated as a National Lab will draw science experiments from academia, the private sector and other federal agencies. Photo Credit/NASA Photo

 

NASA has completed negotiations with the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, the Florida-based nonprofit group selected by the space agency earlier this year to manage the U. S. National Laboratory segment of the International Space Station.

CASIS will receive $15 million annually to manage future National Lab activities by other federal agencies, the private sector as well as academia.

The national lab volume includes parts of the U. S. Destiny lab, European and Japanese research modules as well as facilities on the exterior of the orbital outpost.  NASA astronauts will assist National Lab researchers.

The agreement came together quickly as the lengthy construction and outfitting of the space station neared completion this year. NASA announced its intent to select a National Lab management partner in mid-February and announced its selection on July 13. Congress first proposed establishing portions of the station not required by NASA as a National Lab in 2005. The legislative directive calling on the space agency to select a nonprofit for the management role came in 2010.

As part of the 2010 legislation, Congress committed itself to funding space station operations through at least 2020, including those facilities reserved for the National Lab.

The space agency has already forged National Lab ties withArizona State University,Louisiana State University and BioServe Space Technologies for a range of activities in chemistry, physics and biotechnology.

The Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation have joined as well, promising to bring additional federal resources to underwrite a wide range of scientific activities on the station.

And the lineup of commercial sector participants reads like a who’s who of the oldest and newest engaged in high tech. They include the Astro Tech Corp., the Boeing Co., Kentucky Space, LEGO, Lockheed Martin Corp, Microsoft Corp., LEGO, NanoRacks, Surface Optics Corp. and the Zero Gravity, Inc.

NASA maintains a website for more information about the history and future of the world’s only space-based  National Laboratory.