The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) today released a Request for Information (RFI) that seeks to identify equipment capable of supporting future materials science experiments onboard the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory. The RFI solicits entities capable of serving as implementation partners and/or hardware providers for such research.
The CASIS Science and Technology Advisory Panel classified materials science as a research priority due to its many potential Earth applications. Through this RFI, CASIS hopes to ascertain available resources including flight hardware, support equipment, and expertise to enable space-based materials science initiatives for Earth benefit. Information acquired through this RFI will allow CASIS to further assess commercial interest in ISS utilization and will potentially facilitate experiments involving:
– Materials exposure in extreme conditions
– Crystallization and phase transitions of materials
– Interfacial phenomena of multiphase materials
From the white papers submitted in response to this RFI, CASIS will enhance its database of entities capable of supporting payload development needs for materials science experiments—as well as its distribution list of entities interested in space-based materials science research. This information gathering opportunity precedes an anticipated materials science Request for Proposals that is being considered for release in the coming months.
“As CASIS continues to develop its ISS National Lab research portfolio in the physical sciences, we see materials science as a strong opportunity for commercially relevant research,” said CASIS Director of Portfolio Management Warren Bates. “Through this RFI, we hope to identify a broad range of hardware options and service providers to support advanced ISS research in this field.”
The RFI will be open until 5pm EDT on March 19, 2014. For additional information about this RFI, including instructions on submitting a white paper, please visit:
http://www.iss-casis.org/Opportunities/Solicitations/RFIMaterialsScience2014.aspx
