What's Up. October 2012.

WH T’S UP.

THE LATEST FROM CASIS

INSIDE:

OUR MAIDEN VOYAGE MERCK AGREEMENT MUCH MORE!

THE OFFICIAL CASIS NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2012

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WH T’S UP.

OCTOBER2012

O U R M A I D E N VOYAG E - A R K 1

On the verge of its maiden voyage, CASIS ushers in ...

JIM ROYSTON

INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Here’s

WHAT’S UP. Welcome to the first installment of the CASIS Monthly Newsletter, What’s Up. As CASIS continues in our chartered effort to fully utilize the United States National Laboratory on the International Space Station, our intention is to keep our stakeholders apprised of events on Station that we feel are pertinent to those on Earth. As the organization that has been tasked by NASA and Congress to manage the National Lab, it is incumbent upon our team to inform the general public of events and accomplishments that promote the benefits of conducting science in space. Our hope is that this newsletter will assist in keeping you informed of our progress.

The past year has seen many terrific accomplishments for our organization, as we transition from a stand-up organization to a fully operational entity brokering research opportunities onboard humanity’s greatest technical achievement: the International Space Station.

Each month, CASIS will attempt to educate our readers on the benefits of space-based research, our current activities, recent accomplishments and how they will ultimately benefit those on Earth.

From announcing partnerships with major commercial companies to the release of CASIS-sponsored Request for Proposals, we will continue to promote the National Lab with passion and conviction, and through this newsletter we hope to bring everyone a greater appreciation and understanding of “What’s Up” in the world of microgravity.

NEW HORIZONS FOR THE ISS

BY EMILY WHITE

CASIS SCIENCE COMMUNICATIONS WRITER

The Decade of Station Utilization is upon us.

With construction now complete, the International Space Station U.S. National Laboratory is beginning its life as an unprecedented platform for research and development. CASIS champions this era, as it is committed to bringing the results of space science back home to Earth in order to improve the quality of life in our country and the world. In 2013, for the first time in history, a commercial cargo vehicle will carry National Lab payloads selected, prioritized and manifested by a non-NASA entity—a historic and unprecedented event marking the success of CASIS in brokering and promoting commercial investment and interest in this national asset.

While CASIS already sponsors many current payloads aboard the station, September 2013 through March 2014 will include the first launches of CASIS-sponsored projects. In many senses, it will be our maiden voyage. CASIS has thus named this landmark event CASIS ARK1, which stands for Advancing Research Knowledge. It is the first of

“In 2013, for the first time in histo Lab payloads selected, p a historic and unprecedented and promoting commercia

3 www.iss-casis.org CASIS PROJECTS ALREADY ON STATION While ARK1 will be the first research increment of CASIS-managed and sponsored payloads, many projects onboard the station are already under CASIS–National Lab sponsorship, including the below examples.

AMS: The flagship physics experiment on the ISS and a Department of Energy project that uses the universe itself as a particle accelerator and captures cosmic rays that pass by the station.

CSI: A series of educational payloads that illustrate principles of microgravity science to students on the ground.

ISSAC: The ISS Agricultural Camera, which provides multi-spectral imaging for farmers and ranchers in the Great Plains region of the US. NanoRacks Plate Reader: A microplate reader with full spectroscopic capabilities, available as a diagnostic facility for ISS users.

SATS: Supervision of Autonomous and Teleoperated Satellites, a research effort aimed at improving remote operation of space assets via command and control user interfaces for maneuvering satellites.

SPHERES Zero Robotics: A national competition that allows high school (winter session) and middle school (summer session) groups to compete for the opportunity to test their own algorithms in a real-time in-orbit test. (The high school testing will occur during ARK1.)

many missions to support and encourage utilization of the National Lab. Transforming the National Lab: Hardware delivery during ARK1 ARK1 will include exciting hardware additions for conducting the groundbreaking research that can lead to commercial products and other benefits to life on Earth. These additions include a rodent habitat for conducting pre-clinical trials of pharmaceutical drugs and an analytical device to measure the effectiveness of drug treatments on preserving bone health as well as an external science platform that will enhance our ability to do research in the harsh conditions of space.

The environment of space causes changes in human health that closely resemble certain effects of diseases and aging on Earth, including bone loss, muscle wasting and immune system dysfunction. Even more interesting, they occur much faster in microgravity: in one month, astronauts lose approximately the amount

of bone mineral density that an average osteoporosis patient loses in one year. CASIS support during ARK1 will provide the equipment and test the processes that will open up opportunities for commercial and academic institutions to utilize the station as an ideal platform for pharmaceutical research in some of these areas. For example, researchers in space will now be able to use the gold-standard pre-clinical rodent model to investigate better treatment and prevention approaches for diseases that affect humans on Earth.

Along with the hardware to support animal research, an external platform deployed and installed during ARK1 will support R&D in the harsh conditions of space. Some of the first experiments on this platform will include research in materials SEE HORIZONS ON PAGE 6

ory, a commercial cargo vehicle will carry National prioritized and manifested by a non-NASA entity— event marking the success of CASIS in brokering al investment and interest in this national asset.”

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OCTOBER 2012 OCTOBER2012

C O M M I T T E D TO S PAC E R E S E A R C H

THE POTENTIAL FOR ...

OUT- OF-THIS-WORLD

How National Lab science moves fro

BY DR. TIMOTHY YEATMAN CASIS CHIEF SCIENTIST

The International Space Station has been host to research projects that span a variety of science fields, with many results promising to advance medicine and technology on Earth. Many exciting Earth applications have already come to fruition—some quickly and some following additional experiments on the ground. What determines the time frame between research results and the availability of a product on Earth, and what can we expect to see as we move into the Decade of Utilization for the space station research platform?

Many of you may already be familiar with the classic examples of space research “wins.” An anti-fracture medication tested in space is now widely used to treat osteoporosis patients. Other efforts in drug and vaccine development aided by space studies are in human testing. Experiments in the physical sciences have led to improvements in alloys used in electronics and to the development of computer software for the design of products including jet engines and suspension bridges.

In addition, Earth observation imaging has been used in global maritime trafficking, autonomously monitoring open waters (versus only coastal regions), which cannot be done using Earth-based systems.

In addition, many products now being used on Earth are spinoffs from Station technologies.

For example, technology developed for the Station greenhouse is used in buildings on the ground to kill dangerous bacteria and viruses, and an ultrasound technology developed for medical imaging on Station is now standard in

many hospitals. Moreover, educational activities on Station increase student interest in science and technology—an investment in our future leaders—and Earth imaging of events such as the 2011 Japanese tsunami aids in response and recovery after natural disasters.

Challenges to commercialization So as we enter the Decade of Station Utilization, what does the future hold for commercial developments from space science? Some examples from the past— especially Earth observation images and spinoffs from Station technology—show us that some research can yield nearly immediate applications. However, many research areas take much longer to get into public hands. The biosciences, in particular, have a long path from research results to public use. Research on the Station faces the same hurdles as biomedical research on Earth, which routinely takes a decade or more (and many millions of dollars) to progress from the research bench to the patient’s bedside.

These hurdles are in place to help ensure that products are safe and effective.

Often the process takes time and ends in failure. In fact, the prestigious magazine Nature has called this bench-to-bedside phase of biomedical research the Valley of Death, since many products “die” in this phase—sometimes because of funding problems, unexpected side effects or other issues. Space-based research must also pass through the Valley—however, research on the Station has the capacity to yield medically relevant research results more quickly than Earth research and to discover information that we may never find in Earth studies.

For example, astronauts experience

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BREAKTHROUGHS

om bench to bedside health effects that mimic disease and aging on Earth: bone and muscle loss and immune system problems to name but a few. We can study these effects in animal models and cell cultures in space—and the effects occur much more rapidly in space, allowing experiments to be done in much shorter time frames than on Earth.

Of particular interest is that studies in space sometimes show unexpected results that we may never have discovered on the ground.

Space science has already contributed to the development of many products that are advancing through the Valley: therapeutics (treatments and vaccines) for muscular dystrophy and bacterial infections, a drug delivery system to treat prostate cancer, and a robotic arm capable of performing surgery inside an MRI machine (a huge benefit for certain neurosurgeries). It is also important to remember that, just as with research on Earth, even failed trials yield valuable information toward future efforts.

So why commit to space research?

In the end, it is important to remember space research challenges are fundamentally no different from those on Earth. But Station research holds the potential for significant breakthroughs and is a valuable research platform with unique environments and opportunities.

We may not yet know what benefits space science may offer or what life-changing discoveries are awaiting space-research pioneers—but we do know that the increased research capabilities offered

by Station will provide researchers with opportunities for experiments to augment and advance current and past studies as well as sparking new research avenues.

For example, technology developed on

Station to detect immune system changes in the early stages of shingles is now in human testing. Shingles results from the reactivation of the chicken pox virus in a person’s body, and early detection may be able to minimize duration and severity of the illness. Further experiments on these and other body system effects may thus lead to new or improved tests or even therapeutics—as will the continuation of studies regarding increased virulence of bacteria and viruses, the structures of proteins involved in human disease, the improvement of drug delivery systems, and other bioscience work aided by the space station platform.

In all, space station research in the Decade of Utilization promises to produce groundbreaking results that will improve our health and quality of life on Earth—with faster and more robust results possible due to recent improvements in facilities, access to the Station and the capacity for long-term experiments. Some of the Earth applications may be immediate, but some may take time to reach the hands of the public. The bottom line: we may need to have patience for things that are not immediately available for commercial use, because some things take a long time on Earth and in space.

Space may come to the edge of the bench-to-bedside journey sooner, but it still has to cross the Valley.

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HIGHLIGHTS

OCTOBER2012 CLICK THE HAND FOR MORE INFO

CASIS recently unveiled the “Space Is In It” product endorsement seal, intent on generating awareness and excitement for commercial products developed from research on the ISS NL. Additionally, this seal serves as an enticement and marketing tool for corporate America to conduct research and testing on Station.

COBRA PUMA GOLF signed a memorandum of agreement with CASIS to conduct research and development onboard the ISS on materials aimed at enhancing its products. With this announcement, COBRA PUMA GOLF is the first company that will be bestowed the “Space Is In It” seal, should materials fly to Station and products be developed from research onboard.

In August, CASIS closed its first Request for Proposals: Advancing Protein Crystallization in Microgravity. Reviewers are currently evaluating each proposal, and awards are expected to be announced as early as October 2012.

In September, CASIS announced its second Request for Proposals: Materials Testing in the Extreme Enviornment of Space, which will utilize the NanoRacks External Platform for research on Station. Proposal submittals will be accepted until December 27, 2012. Awards are slated to be announced in early 2013.

CASIS and Merck, the global healthcare giant, announced a collaboration to conduct therapeutic monoclonal antibodies research onboard Station. While a final agreement is dependent upon approval by CASIS’ valuation and prioritization process, should Merck’s proposal pass all requirements, plans are for research to commence in mid-2013.

HORIZONS FROM PAGE 3

testing funded by CASIS grants. This is a robust example of how events during ARK1 will demonstrate success of the Decade of Utilization model: nongovernment support of academic and commercial use of the National Lab, a plan championed and executed

by CASIS. Research and education projects during ARK1 There are over 100,000 proteins in the human body. The structure of these proteins determines their function, and additional projects supported by CASIS grant awards will study various proteins to understand their role in health and disease. These experiments launched and conducted during ARK1 may thus lead to improvements in healthcare on Earth.

Finally, in addition to hardware improvements and

CASIS-funded research, two CASISsponsored education projects will take place during ARK1. The first is the culmination of a program in which students compete to design algorithms that program robotic micro-satellites to complete tasks. The program holds two competitions each year—one for middle schoolers and one for high school students. The high school program has already completed the competition’s phases of proposal review and some ground simulations. Promising algorithms from the final phases of the competition will be tested on the station during ARK1.

The second education program during ARK1 targets younger students.

Astronauts will read a children’s book, specifically written for this program, from the award-winning Max the Dog in Space series by author Jeff Bennett. A video of space experiments, performed by astronauts to illustrate parts of the book, will teach students about physics. This video will educate

classrooms across the U.S., and lesson plans provided to teachers will involve students with the experiments done by the astronauts.

The era of International Space Station construction has rapidly transitioned into the era of utilization, and ARK1 will demonstrate a shifting of priorities toward increasing awareness and use of the National Lab as a radically innovative research and education platform. Now that we are moving toward these goals, the important successes of nongovernment management of payloads, delivery of hardware to advance research capabilities, demonstrations of the unique benefits of station science, and commercial involvement in National Lab use are exciting advancements.

ARK1 is just the first of many increments that will guide us into a new era of National Lab utilization, one that promises to bring home results to revolutionize human health and advance science and technology here on Earth.

Have a story idea? Send it to poneill@iss-casis.org