Looking Forward To Another 10 Years of Science On Board The International Space Station

April Flowers for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

The world can change in a decade, as we well know. The same is true in space. Over the last ten years, the International Space Station (ISS) has been producing results at an extraordinary rate. The unique capabilities of this under-appreciated laboratory have resulted in:

The development of a precision robotic arm that aids in the removal of tumors from the human brain.

The ability to start a fire without flames an anti-intuitive technology that has applications in super-efficient auto engines.

The counting of hundreds of thousands of anti-matter particles among normal cosmic rays, which supports the theory of dark matter.

Atoms have been gathered into exotic forms, creating the building blocks of future smart materials.

These are just a few of the nearly miraculous advances that have been made over the last ten years, and NASA has just announced that the ISS mission has been extended another ten years.

The accomplishments of the past 10 years are remarkableespecially considering that the space station was still under construction. Julie Robinson, program scientist for the ISS, told Science@NASAs Dr. Tony Phillips. Now that the station is finished, weve been granted at least 10 more.

As redOrbit reported in January, the Obama Administration announced an extension of the ISS that will last until at least 2024, allowing extra time for NASA and the other participating space agencies to pursue important goals.

One of those goals is long-duration travel through deep space, and the ISS is vital. That may sound ironic given that the space station never leaves Earth orbit, says Robinson, but we have determined that research on station is necessary to mitigate 21 of 32 known human-health risks associated with long duration space missions. The road to Mars leads through the ISS.

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Looking Forward To Another 10 Years of Science On Board The International Space Station