Center for the Advancement of Science in Space

The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, or CASIS, is a US government-funded national laboratory established in 2011, with principal research facilities located in the United States portion of the International Space Station (ISS).

Mission and operations

CASIS is the manager of the International Space Station U.S. National Laboratory. The mission of CASIS is "to maximize use of this unparalleled platform for research, which can benefit all humankind."[1]

CASIS endeavors to provide:[1]

  • seed money to fund research projects and product development
  • aerospace expertise to assist researchers in utilizing in-space laboratory assets
  • access to space via several launch providers
  • administrative support "to cut through red tape to facilitate quick access to space"[1]
  • educational outreach projects and curricula to teach and inspire students across the country through its STEM Program.

As of March 2014, CASIS is operating on an annual budget of $15 million.[2]

In 2010, Congress created the International Space Station National Laboratory (ISSNL), tasking it with the responsibility to utilize 50 percent of the ISS resources. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), a non-profit organization, was selected by NASA to manage the ISS National Lab in 2011. CASIS’ overarching mission is to utilize this unique platform to support research that is directed towards improving the lives of the American public. The ISS is a platform for a portfolio of research projects that exploit the microgravity environment, harsh external conditions of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and radiation exposure.

CASIS, through its activities on the ISSNL currently contributes to a space-based economy, serving the academic and industrial research communities by providing access to the International Space Station (ISS). The ISSNL has conducted business in space for the past six years. During that time, it has built intellectual capital and a network of researchers that utilize existing resources on the ISS or partner with the ISSNL to develop new research platforms in space. In addition, the National Lab supports approximately three-dozen privately owned technology companies that provide services to researchers on the Station. This web of researchers and technology companies work together with the staff at the ISSNL to convert terrestrial research into experiments that can be performed in low earth orbit, and to develop and validate new technologies for use on the Station. This model has served the research community well and the ISSNL fully utilizes its 50% allocation of ISS resources.

Over the past five years, the ISSNL has used $75M of NASA funding to generate an additional $150M of non-NASA, non-ISSNL funds to support research. In FY2018 alone, two new research platforms, four patents and seventeen research articles have been enabled by ISSNL. There are now 14 research platforms on Station that have been implemented by the ISSNL. The ISSNL is the only NASA-funded, non-NASA asset that has sufficient experience to immediately up-scale its level of activity to positively impact an economy-in-space model. The problem with this type of commercialization is that it is limited in its ability to generate revenue and still requires a great deal of NASA-subsidized access to the ISS. In addition, the research performed in this manner is typically discontinuous and generally of low impact. The ISSNL is using its existing capabilities to enable the next phase of commercialization in space. "[2]

History

CASIS is a nonprofit established in 2011 to manage the portion of the ISS designated by law as a national laboratory.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "About CASIS". Center for the Advancement of Science in Space. Retrieved 2014-03-27.
  2. 1 2 3 Foust, Jeff (2014-03-24). "Making the most of the ISS". The Space Review. 2014. Retrieved 2014-03-27.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.