ICE Cubes service for the ISS to exploit the multipurpose ICE Cubes Facility and the XRD-dedicated XRayLab
T. Peignier, M. Ricci
Space Applications Services NV/SA, Zaventem (B)
thomas.peignier@spaceapplications.com
mauro.ricci@spaceapplications.com
The International Commercial Experiment Cubes (ICE Cubes) service will provide rapid, simplified, low-cost access to the International Space Station (ISS), creating the opportunity to maximize the use of the remaining lifetime of the ISS. The ICE Cubes service will enable any organisation, public or private entity or individual to perform experiments on the ISS, with a specific focus towards universities, academic programmes and (European or National) Space Agency educational programmes.
In the frame of the ICE Cubes programme, Space Applications Services is currently developing, supported1 by the European Union, two microgravity facilities for the ISS:
· The multipurpose ICE Cubes Facility, intended to host up to 20 single Experiment Cubes (default size 1U = 10cm x 10cm x 10cm) or a smaller number of multi-unit Experiment Cubes;
· The XRayLab, a novel X-ray diffraction (XRD) facility for the ISS, able to perform protein crystal growth (PCG) experiments and subsequent in-situ XRD measurements.
The multipurpose ICE Cubes Facility
The ICE Cubes Facility is dedicated to small experiments in the fields of fundamental and applied research and Technology Readiness Level (TRL) increase. It is also a perfect opportunity for development of educational experiments in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) areas.
Each Experiment Cube may be equipped with commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components, significantly reducing the cost and duration of development and allowing for the utilization of the most recent technologies. This standardization approach greatly reduces complexity and allows universities and schools to develop and build experiments for the ISS more easily.
The ICE Cubes Facility will accommodate Experiment Cubes from different users simultaneously, each with its own specific design and respective power profile. The ICE Cubes service will also allow the users to stay in control of their experiments thanks to near real-time interaction possible directly from the user home bases.
The plug-and-play nature of the ICE Cubes experiments in combination with the provided ICE Cubes services will result in a ‘cradle-to-orbit’ time (Experiment Cube construction, flight acceptance and launch readiness) of one year, fitting very well with academic schedules. Non-standard Cubes and multi-unit Cubes may require a slightly longer period.
Figure 1: ICE Cubes Facility open and closed configurations
A partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA) is currently ongoing for finalising the details of the accommodation and the operational aspects of the ICE Cubes Facility inside the Columbus module of the ISS. The ICE Cubes Facility aims at a launch to and installation in the ISS towards the end of 2017, with the commercial service starting in early 2018.
The XRayLab
The XRayLab is a dedicated XRD facility for the ISS, to be used by industries, scientific and educational organizations, either on a commercial base or in partnership with national and international space agencies.
Figure 2: CAD rendering of the XRayLab facility
The primary function of the XRayLab is to perform in situ XRD measurements and this technique can be used for a wide range of applications, and in particular for protein crystallography in space.
The technological core of the XRayLab is an XRD instrument and an exchangeable sample dispenser/container (so-called ‘XRayLab Card’).
The in-orbit operations of the XRayLab will not rely on the astronauts (except for the Card exchanges). They will be monitored from ground and/or automatized to the maximum possible extent.
The ICE Cubes service
In addition to reducing the complexity to construct experiments for the ISS, Space Applications Services significantly lowers the ‘entry barrier’ to the ISS by providing an end-to-end service to the users. I.e. the ICE Cubes service fully supports the process of experiment development (if requested) and takes care of the flight acceptance launch manifest and operations of the users’ Experiment Cubes and XRayLab Cards.
The objectives of this poster are:
· to present the main characteristics of both the ICE Cubes Facility and the XRayLab,
· to stimulate scientists and industry to propose microgravity experiments to be performed using these microgravity facilities,
· to encourage the access to the ISS through the new commercial path offered by the ICE Cubes service.