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.