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The organisation is offering $750,000 for projects that have “a clear line of sight to commercial applications and demonstrate the potential to produce a positive direct or indirect economic impact” in the near term.
The funding is open to a broad range of technology areas, including chemical and material synthesis in space, translational medicine, in-space edge computing, and ISAM (in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing).
It also covers the application of space station remote sensing data to improve geospatial analytics for commercial use.
For example, one area of interest is hardware prototype testing:
“Innovations addressing hardware product development gaps and emerging technology proliferation in the areas of electronics; semiconductors; nanotechnologies; robotics; sensors; and communications, remote sensing, computer, and satellite technology,” writes the Laboratory.
All interested parties should submit a ‘Step 1: Concept Summary’ for review by July 12, 2024. After this, for Step 2, full proposals from those invited to submit will be due by the end of 2 October 2024.
Multiple projects can be recipients, said the ISS National Laboratory.
The call for projects – “Technology Development and Applied Research Leveraging the ISS National Lab” – for this funding was first made in May, but repeated again this month.
ISS National Lab
The ISS was designated as a U.S. National Laboratory in 2005 by Congress.
It’s a one-of-a-kind lab that enables research and development not possible on Earth. As a public service enterprise, researchers are allowed to use the multiuser facility to “improve quality of life on Earth, mature space-based business models, advance science literacy in the future workforce, and expand a sustainable and scalable market in low Earth orbit”.
For example, in-space production applications are a strategic focus area for the ISS National Lab.
Note that resources on the ISS are available to support non-NASA science, including use by academic institutions, and the private sector.
The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) manages the ISS National Lab, under Cooperative Agreement with NASA.
Image: NASA
See also: NASA criticised for its handling of ISS National Laboratory
