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| Materials International Space Station Experiments |
| Overview |
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The Materials International Space Station Experiments (MISSE) Project is a NASA/Langley Research Center-managed cooperative endeavor to fly materials and other types of space exposure experiments on the space station. The objective is to develop early, low-cost, non-intrusive opportunities to conduct critical space exposure tests of space materials and components planned for use on future spacecraft. Johnson Space Center, Marshall Space Flight Center, Glenn Research Center, the Materials Laboratory at the Air Force Research Laboratory and Boeing Phantom Works are participants with Langley in the project. The MISSE experiments will be the first externally mounted experiments conducted on the ISS. The experiments are in four Passive Experiment Containers (PECs) that were initially developed and used for an experiment on Mir in 1996 during the Shuttle-Mir Program. The PECs were transported to Mir on STS-76. After an 18-month exposure in space, they were retrieved on STS-86. PECs are suitcase-like containers for transporting experiments via the space shuttle to and from an orbiting spacecraft. Once on orbit and clamped to the host spacecraft, the PECs are opened and serve as racks to expose experiments to the space environment. The first two MISSE PECs will be launched to the ISS on STS-105. Two more will be launched to the ISS about 18 months later. Examples of tests to be performed in MISSE include: New generations of solar cells with longer expected lifetimes to power satellites; advanced optical components planned for future Earth observational satellites; new, longer-lasting coatings that better control heat absorption and emissions and thereby the temperature of satellites; new concepts for lightweight shields to protect crews from energetic cosmic rays found in interplanetary space; and the effects of micrometeoroid impacts on materials planned for use in the development of ultra-light membrane structures for solar sails, large inflatable mirrors and lenses. New affordable materials will enable the development of advanced reusable launch systems and advanced spacecraft systems. |
Editorial/Technical Comments: ShuttlePresskit
