ICE Cubes Service: Difference between revisions
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The '''International Commercial Experiment Cubes''' or '''ICE Cubes Service''' provides access to space for [[research]], [[technology]] or [[education]]. The service permits fast-track access to flight opportunities for [[space industry|space]] and non-space industry as well as research centres.<ref>http://www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/Videos/2018/07/Horizons_science_installing_ICE_Cubes</ref> |
The '''International Commercial Experiment Cubes''' or '''ICE Cubes Service''' provides access to space for [[research]], [[technology]] or [[education]]. The service permits fast-track access to flight opportunities for [[space industry|space]] and non-space industry as well as research centres.<ref>http://www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/Videos/2018/07/Horizons_science_installing_ICE_Cubes</ref> |
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The ICE Cubes facility allows researchers, educators, universities and companies to run their experiments on the [[International Space Station]] and to access space conditions in their experiment cubes.<ref>http://www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/Videos/2018/07/Horizons_science_installing_ICE_Cubes</ref> |
The ICE Cubes facility allows researchers, educators, universities and companies to run their experiments on the [[International Space Station]] and to access space conditions in their experiment cubes.<ref>http://www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/Videos/2018/07/Horizons_science_installing_ICE_Cubes</ref> |
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From ideation to reality in a year, any entity’s experiment can be sent to the [[International Space Station|Space Station]]. Service launches take place typically three or four times a year. The ICE Cubes Service develops experiments in compliance with [[International Space Station]] standards.<ref>https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Research/ICE_Cubes_space_research_service_open_for_business</ref> |
From ideation to reality in a year, any entity’s experiment can be sent to the [[International Space Station|Space Station]]. Service launches take place typically three or four times a year. The ICE Cubes Service develops experiments in compliance with [[International Space Station]] standards.<ref>https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Research/ICE_Cubes_space_research_service_open_for_business</ref> |
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== History == |
== History == |
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Revision as of 10:04, 18 October 2019
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| Industry | Aerospace |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2017 |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | Global |
| Services | Space access for research & technology; Microgravity payload integration. |
| Owner | Space Applications Services |
| Website | www |
The International Commercial Experiment Cubes or ICE Cubes Service provides access to space for research, technology or education. The service permits fast-track access to flight opportunities for space and non-space industry as well as research centres.[1]
The ICE Cubes facility allows researchers, educators, universities and companies to run their experiments on the International Space Station and to access space conditions in their experiment cubes.[2]
Potential fields of research range from pharmaceutical development to experiments on stem cells, radiation, and microbiology, fluid sciences, and more.[3] Researchers can access the data from their payloads at any time. They can connect to their experiment from any location via internet to directly read the data and send commands.[4]
From ideation to reality in a year, any entity’s experiment can be sent to the Space Station. Service launches take place typically three or four times a year. The ICE Cubes Service develops experiments in compliance with International Space Station standards.[5]
ICE Cubes service stems from a partnership between Space Applications Services and the European Space Agency (ESA). [6]
History
The first experiments were launched on the SpaceX Dragon supply vessel and then installed by ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst in 2018 and included projects supplied by the International Space University and developed as results of international collaborations.[7]
The first cube housed a research experiment on methane-producing microorganisms to see how they survive in microgravity conditions. In the longer term, the knowledge gained could lead to these microorganisms for biomining of asteroids to produce methane to fuel future space missions.[9]
The second International Space University cube was an interactive art installation. The artistic cube contained a kaleidoscope linked to a ground installation that was activated by the heart pulse of participants. The images were then beamed down to the ground installation on Earth in real-time, thanks to ICE Cubes’ 24-hour accessibility.[10]
Successive experiments regarded plant germination[11], demonstration of spectroscopic diagnostics[12] and recovery of cybersecurity functions on commercial electronics in space[13]
In March 2019 Aerospace Applications North America, Inc. started to offer the ICE Cubes Service in the United States and is now active also as Implementation Partner to the International Space Station United States National Laboratory.[14]
The ICE Cubes facility on the ISS
The ICE Cubes facility houses modular experiments and is the first European commercial research facility on the ISS.[16][17] In June 2018, NASA astronaut Ricky Arnold installed the facility hosting a sliding framework in the Columbus laboratory. The ICE Cubes facility is provided with power, temperature regulation and communications directly from the European Columbus module of the space station.[18]
Similar to small ‘CubeSats’ that orbit Earth, ICE Cube experiments can be made from ‘commercial off-the-shelf’ products and be integrated together to allow for larger experiments if needed. The facility hosts ‘plug-and-play’ 10 cm experiment cubes (1U) or combinations of this volume – there is room for 12 cubes on top and two rows of four cubes below. Experiments can also float freely through the module.[19]
Due to their high degree of modularity and use of off-the-shelf subsystems, ICE Cubes projects only need to be plugged into the facility for them to work and can be readied for flight more rapidly compared to traditional space experiment schedules and at a significantly lower cost.[20]
ICE Cubes offers 24-hour direct access to the cubes via a dedicated mission control centre that is located at Space Applications Services’ offices in Belgium. [21]
References
- ^ http://www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/Videos/2018/07/Horizons_science_installing_ICE_Cubes
- ^ http://www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/Videos/2018/07/Horizons_science_installing_ICE_Cubes
- ^ https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7126
- ^ http://www.esa.int/spaceinvideos/Videos/2018/07/Horizons_science_installing_ICE_Cubes
- ^ https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Research/ICE_Cubes_space_research_service_open_for_business
- ^ https://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2019/01/Floating_ice
- ^ https://www.isunet.edu/news/hydras-go-to-space-two-isu-payloads-launch-to-the-international-space-station/561
- ^ https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Research/Access_your_space_experiment_anywhere_with_ICE_Cubes
- ^ https://www.isunet.edu/news/hydras-go-to-space-two-isu-payloads-launch-to-the-international-space-station/561
- ^ https://www.isunet.edu/news/hydras-go-to-space-two-isu-payloads-launch-to-the-international-space-station/561
- ^ http://isunet.edu/news/isu-s-hydra-1-experiment-launched-to-iss/599
- ^ https://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2019/05/Exobiology_in_a_box
- ^ https://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2019/07/Cryptography_ICE_Cube_experiment
- ^ https://www.issnationallab.org/implementation-partners/
- ^ https://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2017/06/Experiment_cube
- ^ https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7126
- ^ https://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2019/01/Floating_ice
- ^ https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7126
- ^ https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Research/ICE_Cubes_space_research_service_open_for_business
- ^ https://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2017/06/Experiment_cube
- ^ https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Research/ICE_Cubes_space_research_service_open_for_business