Extreme Electronics: LEO as the Ultimate Technology Proving Ground
Computing advances continue to push the envelope for ever-smaller, ruggedized electronics that must thrive in extreme conditions, whether inside jet engines, nuclear reactors, geothermal…
Spaceflight Studies for a Sustainable Future
Humankind has made incredible technological advancements over the past two centuries. However, many of these advancements have come at a significant cost to the…
Tough Enough for Space: Accelerating Materials Testing With a New Permanent Platform
In microgravity, even seemingly indestructible materials degrade. Just look at the Hubble telescope, where its outer layer of insulation and thin layer of aluminum…
The Little Furnace That Could: Using Space to Improve Radiation Detection
Everything around you emits radiation—from the bananas in your kitchen, to cosmic rays from space, to the piece of paper (or screen) from which…
Pushing Research to New Heights: Innovative Research at the ISS R&D Conference
What do investigators studying ecosystem productivity, the growth of fungi from the Chernobyl nuclear accident site, the robustness of a new type of osteoporosis drug, and…
The ISS and Household Products: How P&G is Using Space to Improve Customer Experience
In an era of increasing commercial innovation in space, many big-name companies are taking to the skies to explore how microgravity research might enhance…
The View From the Cupola: Randy Giles
Gravity is fascinating. So too is its absence. The International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory is the world’s most accessible platform where persistent…
The New Gold Rush: 3D Printing in Micro-G
Until a year ago, commercially printing objects in space was the stuff of science fiction. Not anymore. At any given time onboard the ISS…
Bringing Motion to Life: Materials Science Research in Space
Our hands perform dozens, if not hundreds, of tasks for us every day. They wave hello and goodbye. They open jars, doors, and soda…
Exotic Glass Fibers From Space: The Race to Manufacture ZBLAN
Optical fibers are the thread that connects our modern digital world. Smaller in diameter than a human hair, these fibers can transmit light pulses…