The International Space Station (ISS) is a very important, yet often forgotten, part of U.S. research efforts. Its also recently been found to be quite valuable to manufacturers, thanks in large part to the ongoing efforts of Congress and outside organizations.
As a part of those efforts, Congress andthe Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS)have teamed up to try and get manufacturers interested in using their ISS lab to research manufacturing in space, bring new innovation back to earth and ultimately build a better world for us all.
With as many trips as rockets are making, its not going to be too far into the future that you can make products in space and bring them back to install, said ChristineKretz, vice president of programs and partnerships at the International Space Station U.S. National Laboratory, who spoke to attendees at AEMs Annual Conference last fall.
According to Kretz, the ISS is in the sky because of U.S. tax dollars, to make Earths economy better, and to provide access to research opportunities. NASA and Congress have displayed great interest in commercial work in space and a low-orbit economy. There are different conditions in space, like sustained microgravity, that could be conducive to higher quality products being made there. Not so far in the future, it is quite possible that the U.S. will have a low-orbit economy or, at the very least, possess the ability to make certain products exclusively in space.
The ISS has been floating around in space for more than decades so, one cant help but wonder -- Why has this opportunity only recently been made?
Things are really coming into confluence in space, explained Kretz. Prior to this year, the U.S still had to take our astronauts to Russia to put them into space.
Now that the U.S. can send rockets up to the ISS from its home turf, its become far easier to take trips to and from the station. In addition, there is much more equipment onboard now than there was in the past. In the beginning, the station had a camera and a microscope; 21 years later it has a ton of hardware, and plans are in place for a bigger and better space station in the future. Lastly, the amount of funding has increased. Within CASIS, there are 245 venture capital organizations watching what's going in and out of the station, as well as looking for investment opportunities.
NASA and Congress have recently extended use of the ISS until 2030 to allow for additional research and manufacturing opportunities. In addition, Congress has several grants for projects that focus on key areas, such as sustainability or the reduction of carbon usage.
There are many perks to using the ISS for research, as all of the tools one would need are already onboard. Hewlett-Packard and IBM have provided supercomputers for other companies to use, with a huge amount of data available to use and analyze. In addition, while other satellites do collect and store data, the ISS has more room for varying types of that data. As an example, one satellite could provide data on a singular area of interest, while the ISS has all of the information one may need in a singular place.
We have a vantage point looking down on our planet 24/7, rotating the earth every 90 minutes and collecting a huge amount of data, explained Kretz. With different kinds of sensors, we collect different kinds of data, whether it be data on methane gas pockets, plastics in the oceans, and different kinds of things. The sensors collect the data, and then it is available to you. So, you can ask for that data, or ask for a different kind of data that you want to be included.
There are plenty of opportunities for manufacturers to get involved. Additive manufacturing is currently happening on the ISS, printing materials such as ceramic, plastic and cell tissue, among others. With the thin layer deposition in space being 10 times higher quality than that on Earth, there is less of a chance for things to get in the way of that deposition, and there is no sedimentation and far fewer bubbles. Products like semiconductors, medical implants, solar panels and consumer electronics could all be manufactured in space one day -- potentially helping to alleviate issues such as the shortage of semiconductors.
The resources are there. Now it's up to manufacturers to take the next step and explore this opportunity. The ISS is truly valuable and exciting initiative. And now that NASA and Congress have extended the lifecycle of the ISS, it's even more important to take advantage of it. In the future, the U.S. economy could look very different than it is right now, and manufacturers would be wise to consider all of the options in front of them.
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) Annual Conference delivers a single place for members to gather with their peers to examine what this transformational decade will mean for their organization and the equipment manufacturing industry. For more information, visitaem.org./annual.
For more news and information regarding issues important to equipment manufacturers,subscribetothe AEM Industry Advisor.
More here:
Space: a New Frontier for Manufacturing and Research - Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM)
- Video Urgent plumbing problem in space - ABC News - ABC News - June 3rd, 2024 [June 3rd, 2024]
- PHOTO OF THE DAY: International Space Station Captures Image of Hurricane Idalia - SpaceCoastDaily.com - June 3rd, 2024 [June 3rd, 2024]
- ULA Boeing Starliner Spacecraft Set to Liftoff from Cape Canaveral on Wednesday at 10:52 a.m. ET - SpaceCoastDaily.com - June 3rd, 2024 [June 3rd, 2024]
- Boeing Starliner's first astronaut flight halted at the last minute - CBS News - June 3rd, 2024 [June 3rd, 2024]
- Boeing's Starliner finds yet another way to not reach space - The Register - June 3rd, 2024 [June 3rd, 2024]
- Chinese astronauts conduct record-breaking spacewalk (video) - Space.com - June 3rd, 2024 [June 3rd, 2024]
- Sierra Space reinvents orbit with reusable spaceplane and inflatable space station - Professional Engineering - June 3rd, 2024 [June 3rd, 2024]
- Perspective - The Hudson Indy Westchester's Rivertowns News - - The Hudson Independent - June 3rd, 2024 [June 3rd, 2024]
- Commercialization is Key to Continued US Space Leadership - SpaceNews - June 3rd, 2024 [June 3rd, 2024]
- NASA reschedules Starliner launch for later this week - USA TODAY - June 3rd, 2024 [June 3rd, 2024]
- Boeing has seen a tide of bad headlines. It's hoping for a reset with space launch. - The Christian Science Monitor - June 3rd, 2024 [June 3rd, 2024]
- The launch of Boeing's crewed Starliner space capsule is called off yet again - MPR News - June 3rd, 2024 [June 3rd, 2024]
- Boeing's first crewed flight to the International Space Station scrapped minutes before launch - Israel Hayom - June 3rd, 2024 [June 3rd, 2024]
- Starliner launch: When is Boeing testing its crewed space capsule? - New Scientist - June 3rd, 2024 [June 3rd, 2024]
- NASA, Boeing to launch Starliner's first crewed mission to space station - theSun - June 3rd, 2024 [June 3rd, 2024]
- Chinese astronauts surpass spacesuit limits in record-breaking spacewalk - South China Morning Post - June 3rd, 2024 [June 3rd, 2024]
- Scrubbed: Boeings Starliner spacecraft to carry 2 astronauts to ISS - WFTV Orlando - June 3rd, 2024 [June 3rd, 2024]
- Boeing will try to launch its first crew on Starliner, again - Jordan Times - June 3rd, 2024 [June 3rd, 2024]
- Starliner test flight set for Saturday as the ISS unexpectedly loses critical infrastructure - FOX 35 Orlando - June 3rd, 2024 [June 3rd, 2024]
- Fish on Board China's Space Station Are Doing Swimmingly, Confused as Hell - Yahoo News Australia - June 3rd, 2024 [June 3rd, 2024]
- Soyuz Spacecraft Undocks to Return Three Crewmates to Earth - NASA Blogs - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Multinational team safely returns to Earth from the International Space Station - UPI News - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- US, Russian and Belarusian ISS crew members safely return to Earth - FRANCE 24 English - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Soyuz capsule with crew of 3, including 1st female astronaut from Belarus, lands safely to end ISS mission - Space.com - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- A Soyuz capsule carrying 3 crew from the International Space Station lands safely in Kazakhstan - Bozeman Daily Chronicle - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- NASA investigates possible space junk that crashed through Florida home - Fox Weather - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Trio Finalizes Packing, Science Activities Before Friday Departure - NASA Blogs - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Will the 2024 total solar eclipse be visible from space? - Space.com - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- A Soyuz capsule carrying 3 crew from the International Space Station lands safely in Kazakhstan - Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Kazakhstan Russia Space Station | Nation % World AP news of the day | chronicleonline.com - Citrus County Chronicle - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Brain Research Tops Science Schedule Ahead of Crew Departure - NASA Blogs - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Mysterious object that crashed through Florida home was likely space junk from the International Space Station - Livescience.com - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Falling Object That Crashed Into Florida Home May Be Debris From the International Space Station - Smithsonian Magazine - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Mitsubishi takes stake in Starlab Space - SpaceNews - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Mysterious Object That Tore Through Florida Home May Be From the ISS - Newsweek - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Florida man nearly hit by possible space junk that tore through roof of his home: 'Almost hit my son' - New York Post - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Suspected space object crashes through roof of home in Naples, Florida - ABC News - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Former flight attendant for Belavia Airlines is back on earth from the ISS - AIRLIVE - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- Space trash from the International Space Station tears through Florida mans home - WDBO - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- NASA probing where chunk of metal that hit a Florida house came from - Business Insider - April 6th, 2024 [April 6th, 2024]
- SpaceX launches its 30th Dragon cargo mission to the ISS (video) - Space.com - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- SpaceX rocket launch: Coffee, cherry tomatoes heading to space station - Florida Today - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- SpaceX Resupply Mission Docks With Space Station - Aviation Week - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Space Station Welcomes Cargo, Awaits Crew Arrival - AmericaSpace - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- This Week @NASA: A Commercial Mission Carries Science to the Space Station - SciTechDaily - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Soyuz MS-25 flight to Space Station launches successfully after Thursday's scrub - UPI News - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Launch aborted of Russian Soyuz spacecraft seconds before blast-off - Reuters - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Soyuz rocket carrying first Belorussian woman in space en route to ISS - The Spokesman Review - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- NASA Selects New Round of Candidates for CubeSat Missions to Station - NASA - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Immunology Studies and Robotics for Orbital Residents as Crew and Cargo Craft Count Down to Launch - NASA Blogs - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Russian Soyuz rocket suffers rare last-minute abort during launch of 3 astronauts to ISS (video) - Space.com - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Watch Russian Soyuz rocket launch 3 spaceflyers to the ISS on March 23 - Space.com - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Soyuz launches to station after scrub - SpaceNews - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- SpaceX Dragon soars under sunny skies Thursday to dock with International Space Station - Florida Today - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- SpaceX to launch 30th cargo mission to the ISS for NASA this week - Space.com - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- The Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft blasts off to the International Space Station (ISS) from the launchpad at the Baikonur ... - Colorado Springs Gazette - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Astronaut and UC Davis alum Tracy C. Dyson headed to the International Space Station for 3rd mission - KCRA Sacramento - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- SpaceX launches mission to International Space Station from Florida - WFLA - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Notre Dame professor sends cancer research to space station - South Bend Tribune - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Soyuz launches 3 new crew members to ISS on its 71st flight - Interesting Engineering - March 24th, 2024 [March 24th, 2024]
- Astronauts Aboard ISS Find Lost Tomato Missing for 8 Months - PEOPLE - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- NASA astronaut will celebrate Hanukkah in space with felt menorah - Space.com - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Four-time Space Veteran Jeff Williams to Retire from NASA - El Paso Inc. - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- NASA astronauts finally find tomato that was lost in space for months - New York Post - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- A tomato lost for 8 months on space station has finally been found, and it is a big deal - WION - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- ISS astronauts find tomato that was lost in space for 8 months - FreshPlaza.com - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Watch ISS astronaut speak with Nobel Prize winners on Dec. 11 - Yahoo News - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Mysterious "red sprite" captured by space station astronaut - Earth.com - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Astronauts find tomato lost 8 months earlier aboard ISS - Supercar Blondie - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- NASA pushes back timing of ISS deorbit vehicle contract - The Register - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Health, Manufacturing Science Day Before Station's 25th Anniversary - NASA Blogs - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Space Station Turns 25, Just in Time to Die - Futurism - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Tomato lost in space by astronaut has finally been found - Boing Boing - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Astronauts Just Found a Tomato That Was Missing for 8 Months in Space - Yahoo Lifestyle UK - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Space Station Astronauts Find Desiccated Tomato After Blaming Colleague for Its Theft - Futurism - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Public can tune in as NASA live streams space station's 25th anniversary call to crew - UPI News - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Happy Zero-Gravity Hanukkah! Jewish Holiday Celebrated Aboard International Space Station - The Weekly Journal - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Space Station Crew Proves Missing Tomato Wasn't Eaten By Astronaut - Tasting Table - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Astronauts from these countries have been the most frequent visitors to the International Space Station - Times of India - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]
- Missing tomato recovered after being lost on the ISS for 8 months - Digital Trends - December 12th, 2023 [December 12th, 2023]