Microscope Facility to be Installed in Enterprise Module
SPACEHAB Inc. , a
leading provider of commercial space services, today announced that its
venture with RSC Energia, Space Station Enterprise LLC, has finalized a
contract agreement to fly a research facility onboard the Enterprise module.
Enterprise, a commercial module designed to meet research, stowage, crew
support, habitation and multimedia needs on the International Space Station
(ISS), will provide on-orbit accommodations for a highly specialized Scanning
Probe Microscope for Microgravity (SPMM) for the Florida Space Research
Institute (FSRI). Currently scheduled to be launched in 2006, this equipment
will support scientists working on advanced materials, nanostructures,
biotechnology, and other microgravity experiments.
“We are very pleased that FSRI has reserved space on Enterprise for this
exciting facility-class payload,” said Mike Lounge, Space Station Enterprise
General Manager. “This is the kind of collaboration between the public and
private sector which will allow the International Space Station to fulfill its
promise.”
The Space Station Enterprise LLC is responsible for completing required
financing for Enterprise and marketing and operating the facility, a
multipurpose module planned as part of the ISS Russian Segment. SPACEHAB and
Energia, through the Space Station Enterprise LLC, are seeking additional
marketing and business opportunities for Enterprise, leveraging this unique
access to space.
RSC Energia is a leading Russian aerospace company and one of the most
experienced developers and manufacturers of aerospace hardware in the world.
The organization’s engineers have developed and built more than 320 types of
spacecraft including the first low-earth orbiting Sputniks, Vostok manned
spacecraft, and the orbiting space station Mir. RSC Energia is the prime
contractor for the ISS Russian Segment. Space vehicle Soyuz-TM1 and Progress-
M1 spacecraft, built by RSC Energia, provide efficient transportation in
support of ISS operations.
With more than $100 million in annual revenue, SPACEHAB Inc. is a leading
provider of commercial space services. The company develops, owns, and
operates habitat and laboratory modules and cargo carriers aboard NASA’s Space
Shuttles. Its Johnson Engineering subsidiary supports astronaut training and
space station configuration management at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in
Houston and builds space-flight trainers and mockups. SPACEHAB’s Astrotech
subsidiary provides commercial satellite processing services at facilities in
California and Florida. SPACEHAB’s newest strategic growth initiative,
SPACEHAB Huntsville, will provide customer-focused end-to-end services to the
space research community at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville,
Alabama. Additionally, through The Space Store, Space Media provides space
merchandise to the public and space enthusiasts worldwide
(http://www.thespacestore.com ).