WASHINGTON (NREL PR) — Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will send an engineered bacteria into space as early as next year as part of ongoing research into solving the problem of plastic waste mitigation on Earth.

Funded by exclusive partner Estée Lauder, the winning projects will have the opportunity to conduct research on the International Space Station

WASHINGTON, July 29, 2022 (CASIS PR) – On July 28, 2022, the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory announced two winning concepts from its Sustainability Challenge: Beyond Plastics. The winning concepts will receive funding for their research proposals from the exclusive challenge partner, global prestige beauty brand Estée Lauder, and will have the opportunity to launch their research to the orbiting laboratory.

The challenge, put forth by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, Inc., manager of the ISS National Lab, in partnership with Estée Lauder, sought project concepts to advance sustainability research on the space station that address the worldwide plastic waste dilemma. The selected projects were announced at the 11^th annual ISS Research and Development Conference in Washington, D.C.

NASA Mission Update

While the International Space Station was traveling more than 267 miles over the South Atlantic Ocean, the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft autonomously docked to the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module at 11:21 a.m. EDT today, with NASA astronauts Bob Hines and Jessica Watkins monitoring operations from the station.

The Dragon launched on SpaceX’s 25th contracted commercial resupply mission for NASA at 8:44 p.m., Thursday, July 14, from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. After Dragon spends about one month attached to the space station, the spacecraft will return to Earth with cargo and research.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. (CASIS PR) – A wide variety of research and technology development payloads sponsored by the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory will soon launch to the orbiting laboratory. These payloads are among the more than 4,700 pounds of cargo onboard SpaceX’s 25th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) mission (contracted by NASA), launching no earlier than 8:44 p.m. EDT on Thursday, July 14, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. (CASIS PR) – In the absence of effective countermeasures, prolonged spaceflight can result in many of the same physiological changes associated with aging—bone loss, muscle deterioration, and altered immune system function—only at a much quicker rate. This makes the microgravity environment of the International Space Station (ISS) a valuable platform for research on conditions associated with the aging process.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., April 11, 2022 (CASIS PR) – On Friday, April 8, the launch of the first all-private astronaut mission to the International Space Station (ISS), Axiom Mission 1 (Ax-1), marked the beginning of a new era of privatized utilization of the orbiting laboratory. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft lifted off from historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying four Axiom Space astronauts: Commander and former NASA astronaut Michael López-Alegría, Pilot Larry Connor, and Mission Specialists Eytan Stibbe and Mark Pathy. SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft docked with the ISS on Saturday, and the four Axiom crew members were welcomed onboard. Over the span of eight days on the space station, the Ax-1 crew members will conduct dozens of research experiments, many of which are sponsored by the ISS National Laboratory. In total, the ISS National Lab is sponsoring more than 25 experiments associated with the Ax-1 mission.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. (CASIS PR) – Space-based computing has achieved a significant milestone by enabling investigators conducting an experiment onboard the International Space Station (ISS) to go from sample analysis to results while the experiment was on station. The ability to process data onboard the ISS drastically reduces the time required for investigators to get data and enables potential iteration of the research while the experiment is still in orbit.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., March 18, 2022 (CASIS PR) – The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, Inc. (CASIS), manager of the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory, issued a new research solicitation today focused on education and digital engagement utilizing the unique assets of the orbiting laboratory.

The ISS National Lab Research Announcement (NLRA) “Leveraging the ISS National Lab to Enable Digital Engagement in K-12 and Higher Education” is open to U.S.-based entities seeking to establish or expand programs and products for students of all ages, particularly those from underserved communities. This research announcement will include up to $400,000 in total funding for multiple selected projects.

McLean, Va., Feb. 17, 2022 (SpaceLink PR) – SpaceLink, a company that is building the communications superhighway for the growing space economy, announced it has named Axiom Space as its Implementation Partner for demonstration of its end-to-end communications relay service on the International Space Station. SpaceLink completed an agreement with the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), manager of the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory, last year, and signed its subcontract with Axiom last week, making Axiom the liaison to ensure that all interfaces and system requirements meet NASA standards.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., February 16, 2022 (CASISS PR) – When Northrop Grumman’s upcoming 17th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) mission launches to the International Space Station (ISS), it will carry the first-ever private-sector skin health experiment to be done on the orbiting laboratory. This investigation from PCA SKIN, a Colgate-Palmolive brand, will study the effects of microgravity on skin physiology.