This morning, the NanoRacks External Platform (NREP) was reinstalled on the outside of the International Space Station, initiating the commercial platform’s third customer mission. The External Platform, self-funded by NanoRacks, is the leading commercial gateway to the extreme environment of space. Customers can experience the microgravity, atomic oxygen, radiation and other harsh elements native to the space environment. Additionally, customers can observe Earth, test sensors, materials, and electronics, all while having the opportunity to return the payload back to Earth.
The platform has been mounted on the outside of the Space Station, completing its second mission, since early May 2017. Last week, the astronaut crew brought the platform back inside the Space Station via the Japanese Kibo Airlock, and completed the second payload swap out, preparing for the third mission.
“I’d like to give a big thank you to Astronaut Norishige Kanai for the managing the successful payload swap out and installation, and thank you as well to Astronaut Scott Tingle for the added support,” says NanoRacks Operations Engineer, Jerry Mathew. “It has been wonderful working with this crew and we look forward to continued successful payload operations for the duration of this mission.”
This External Platform mission is hosting the Cavalier Space Processor (Cavalier) payload, which consists of a 10 by 10 by 40 centimeter aluminum enclosure, along with an externally mounted antenna and internal processing electronics. Cavalier is a receive-only experiment, and does not have transmitting capability.
Cavalier was recently launched on the Orbital ATK CRS-8 (OA-8) mission on November 12, 2017.
About the NanoRacks External Platform:
NREP, which is self-funded by NanoRacks, is externally mounted to the Station on the Japanese Experiment Module Exposed Facility and provides the first-ever commercial gateway to the extreme space environment. Following the CubeSat form factor, payloads can experience microgravity and radiation, observe earth, test sensors and electronics, and experience other harsh elements native to the space – all while having the ability to return the payload back to Earth. The External Platform is also a stepping-stone in NanoRacks’ growing programs towards building a deeper understanding of working in the outside environment of space, including developments in both the NanoRacks Airlock Module and the Ixion program.
