Category Archives: Station operations

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden

Editor’s note: These brief extracts are paraphrased from live webcast and may not be fully correct.

Human Exploration on ISS:
Use of ISS for Human Exploration in LEO and beyond

Charles F. Bolden, Jr., NASA Administrator

  • US President Barack Obama has set two dates: visit an asteroid by 2025 and visit Mars by mid-2030s.
  • Some problems in space flight were not anticipated. This opens up the need for further research beyond microgravity.
  • When commercial ferry Dragon docks with the Space Station it will herald a new era of space exploration. For the first time commercial companies will enter the equation on their own accord.
  • Cygnus is an example of an international commercial endeavour.
  • Space Station international partnership is perhaps its greatest strength. From advancing individual countries to advancing as a whole.

Q: Is NASA heading towards increasing risks to achieve the incredible goals set?

A: We are definitely not lowering the requirements or increasing risks. Extensive testing will be conducted on the Orion spacecraft. Of course space exploration is inherently risky, that is why many of us are here.

Q: What are your views on the academic research versus commercial research on ISS?

A: If we truly want to enhance utilisation we need to cast our net as wide as we can.

Q: How do you see international cooperation in achieving NASA's goals?

A: Previous Apollo mentions were basically all American. Today we are all on the same goal. International cooperation is assured. We cannot do what we want to do without you.

Q: Is there a precursor mission to all these flights planned?

A: Because of our budget constraints we need to look at reshaping our missions to meet all priorities. You will start to see, this summer, a realistic programme with smaller missions that still achieve the goals set out.

Curiosity will land on Mars in August. It will be the largest spacecraft to land on Mars. Many countries have a skill in space flight. American space flight is skilled in landing operations.

Q: Will partnerships enlarge ISS collaboration?

A: The partnership we have was hard to achieve. We decided not to change the treaty as it would take a long time. Instead we decided to offer partnerships on a different basis.

Q: What will the role of partnerships in the next space station?

A: The ISS cannot be the only destination in low Earth orbit. Private companies need to create new destinations and platforms in orbit. Free-flying platforms that offer space for experiments to run over long periods of time is the future.

Russia’s ISS Research Programme

Editor’s note: These brief extracts are paraphrased from live webcast and may not be fully correct.

            Russia’s ISS Research Programme
             Georgy Karabadzhak, TsNIIMash/Russia

Download the full presentation slides: Russia’s ISS Utilization Program

  • ROSCOSMOS' long term programme was set years ago.
  • The ISS platform possibilities have expanded and we are expanding our research scope.
  • Examples of ROSCOSMOS research can be found in space medicine, biology, materials, geophysics, space engineering and technology.
  • Almost half of the experiments set in our long-term programme have been completed.
  • Space exploration happens in three stages: basic research, development of new space research and finally utilisation for practical benefits. ISS has reached the final stage.
  • ISS has proven itself already.
  • In basic research ISS is being used in radiation studies and vacuum studies amongst others.
  • For further space exploration ISS is being used to develop and test new generation life support systems and robotic systems to assist astronaut's operations.
  • In the future we are looking at new inflatable modules or free flying spacecraft.
  • The full importance of ISS can not be answered now, the future will tell how important it is. This symposium strengthens our opinion that the ISS will prove itself in future history.

Kibo research priorities

Editor’s note: These brief extracts are paraphrased from live webcast and may not be fully correct.            

 JAXA’s ISS Utilisation Strategy
             Makato Asashima, AIST/Japan

Download the full presentation slides: ISS/Kibo Utilization Strategy in Japan

  • JAXA's Kibo research module projects will focus on life science, space medicine and physical/chemical science.
  • Life sciences on Kibo will research life from small to large progressively: from cellular research to microbes to vertebrates to mammals to humans by 2020. 
  • Space medicine will focus on research to improve health care technology.
  • Long term targets for chemical science are to contribute to new combustion systems and the science of bubbles, droplets and films.
  • Short term targets include researching soft materials of benefit for Earth.
  • An announcement of opportunity was announced and research will be chosen based on utilisation objectives.

 

NASA research priorities for ISS

Editor’s note: These brief extracts are paraphrased from live webcast and may not be fully correct.

NASA’s Research Priorities on ISS
             Mark Uhran, ISS Director, NASA

Download the full presentation: NASA RESEARCH PRIORITIES FOR ISS

  • The scope of the ISS platform is incredible. Our challenge is to use the platform most productively.
  • Keeping the platform on-line is our first priority.
  • Our second priority is to serve our mission interests.
  • We gain the basic knowledge we need to advance to the next generation of exploration.
  • Many people underestimate the challenge of building and maintaining such a large Space Station: "It is surely as big a challenge as building the pyramids in Egypt, fortunately it did not take as long."
  • Water on ISS is now recycled up to 75%, we are working on improving this even more.
  • NASA's third priority is to use the ISS as a platform for low earth orbit research.
  • We saw three outstanding examples of benefits seen yesterday: new alloys, plasma therapy and space clocks.
  • Managing projects and funds for the ISS are applied using a queuing model. 
  • Each partner has full responsibility to integrate priorities and apply for time on the ISS with the ISS research integration office. 
  • Diversifying investments in research minimises risks. "We do not want to put all our resources in one project".
  • Three areas are important: basic research and discovery; applied research for benefits; engineering research for future space missions.
  • It is important to check and monitor results from research investments.