Tracking Number: 2010-02-12 (SOC-01) 


Ensuring International Space Station Capabilities are More Widely Known 


NASA Advisory Council Recommendation: 

The Council recommends that NASA make the International Space Station (ISS) capabilities, 

achievements, and potential services more widely known outside the NASA community, 

especially within the business world. Consideration should be given to new and innovative 

approaches for doing so. 

Major Reasons for the Recommendation: 

The Space Operations Committee is very impressed with the past, current, and future 

capabilities ofISS. Some examples include: microbial vaccine development for staph aureus 

(MRS A) and salmonella, cancer treatment delivery, plant growth, macromolecular 

crystallization for Duchenne's muscular dystrophy, regenerative environmental systems, and 

education, to name a few. Research includes not only NASA and the international partners, but 

Department of Defense, National Institutes of Health, and commercial partners through the 

National Laboratory. NASA has used Space Act Agreements with various commercial 

organizations. While these appear to be quite successful, the committee believes there are still 

missed opportunities in the commercial sector, as many non-traditional partners are not aware 

ofthe capabilities and potential ofISS. The Space Operations Committee .recommends that 

NASA look for new ways to make these capabilities known, either by marketing, appearing at 

non-traditional gatherings, broad announcements, or short educational articles in business 

publications. Some industry examples are: health care, environmental, or energy. 

NASA Response: 

NASA concurs and has continued to broaden outreach efforts through the generation and 

publication of "Research in Space - Facilities on the International Space Station" 

http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/393789mainissutilizationbrochure.pdf.This publication describes 

all the research facilities on the ISS, as well as some research results highlights. It has been 

distributed to thousands of prospective users of the ISS and includes points of contact for each 

participating ISS Partner agency. NASA and its ISS Partner agencies are continuing with 

-outreach efforts by recently publishing "The Era ofInternational Space Station Utilization: 

Perspectives on Strategy from International Research Leaders," developed by international 

research leaders, including both ISS and non-ISS investigators. This publication will be posted 

to the Web site and distributed to prospective users ofthe ISS. 

Since November 2009, new agreements have been established with the Defense Advanced 

Research Program Agency, the National Science Foundation (NSF), Boeing, Microsoft, and 

LEGO. Agreements are currently under development with multiple university researchers and 

one private firm. In the past few months, new NASA Research Announcements (NRAs) have 

been announced in "Crew Health and Performance and Materials Science" at 

Enclosure I 
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http://www.nasa.gov/mission pages/station!science/nlab/nlab proposal.html. The upcoming 

NRAs from the Science Mission Directorate for "Research Opportunities in Space and Earth 

Sciences" and the "Explorer 2010 Missions of Opportunity Program Element Appendix" for 

the "Stand Alone Missions of Opportunity Notice Announcement of Opportunity," will both 

list ISS as an available platform. Additionally, the National Laboratory Office has posted a 

Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) titled "Enabling Support Equipment and Services for 

International Space Station as a National Laboratory," which can be found at 

http://www.nasa.gov/mission pages/station!science/nlab/index.html. The BAA is focused on 

commercial sector use and servicing oflSS and will be updated annually. NASA has added the 

capability to deploy CubeSats from the ISS commercial cargo resupply missions as another 

means of opening up the opportunity for space flight resean:;h to a larger group. NASA will 

continue to issue new NRAs, consistent with future funding availability. 

Beginning in January 2010, a team was assembled to begin restructuring ofthe ISS Home page 

to include restructuring ofthe ISS Science pages. Improvements to the ISS Science Web pages 

will provide: 

• 	 Improved usability overall (i.e. clear, concise, and updated links). 

• 	 Clear ISS research mission statements, including research structure and science 

goals. 

• 	 New ISS research metrics page. 

• 	 Updated research news. 

• 	 Quick links for educators and students interested in ISS science. 

• 	 References and process outlines for potential and current ISS investigators, 

including potential funding sources and processes ("users guide"). 

• 	 Improved search functions for items such as ISS facilities, experiments and results, 

and ISS publications. 

• 	 ISS research translations to Earth benefits in a single Web location. 

• 	 Improvements to the Natiorial Laboratory Office Web page, to include sections for 

potential investigators, agreements, processes, and funding information. 

• 	 Upcoming events related to ISS science. 

• 	 Current events in ISS science. 

Additionally, the first ISS Research Academy for new investigators was held August 3-5,2010. 

Detailed information on the ISS Research Academy can be found at 

http://www.nasa.gov/missionpages/station!science/nlab/nlabconferences.html.This threeday event detailed the science that can be done on ISS during day one, the research 

opportunities (both NASA and non-NASA) and how to submit them during day two, and the 

process for working on ISS during day three. Part ofthe second day was devoted to the 

commercial companies that can provide services to researchers to enable them to successfully 

work through the ISS processes. A portion of the third day was used for a feedback session 

from the payload developers and the experienced Principal Investigators to aid NASA in 

modifying processes and systems that were overly cumbersome to the users. Based on this 

feedback, changes to the systems that the payload developers and Principal Investigators use 

routinely are being evaluated for implementation in the FY 2011 timeframe. NASA is 
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currently evaluating the effectiveness ofthe forum and detennining the right frequency and 

locations for repeating the forum. . 

Finally, consistent with the direction in the President's FY 2011 Budget to Congress, NASA is 

in the process of establishing a nonprofit organization (NPO) through a competitive process to 

manage the U.S. national (i.e. non-NASA) uses ofthe ISS. It is anticipated that this NPO will 

have more latitude to broadcast the capabilities and services ofthe ISS to a wider audience than 

NASA, as well as publicize the ISS accomplishments. NASA anticipates starting the 

cooperative agreement competition this spring 2011 and awarding the NPO agreement during 

the third quarter of2011. Management ofthe ISS research program will be transferred during 

the fourth quarter of2011.