Mike Suffredini, Manager, ISS Program Office, NASA Johnson Space Center: "The Next Decade of ISS and Beyond." Presented at the 2013 International Space Station Research and Development Conference, http://www.astronautical.org/issrdc/2013.

1. 2nd Annual ISS Research and Development Conference
July 16-18, 2013 1 -
ISS is a
Laboratory,
Let’s Use it Like One
Michael Suffredini
ISS Program Manager

2. International Space Station
A Unique Platform for Science
 Crew-tended
 Suitable for long-term studies
 Ability to command from and receive
data to just about anywhere in the
world
Critical Capabilities
 Long duration microgravity exposure
 Exposure to the thermosphere
 Observations at high
altitude, inclination and velocity

3. Stages of the International Space Station
from a scientist’s point of view
Design Assembly Utilization Extension
Promises Waiting Research Benefits
Requirements
& Planning
The Vehicle &
The Crew
Research
Mission Focus
Research
Mission
Renewal
Project Management
Science
Organizational Culture
Paradigm Shifts
-Operating safely is not enough
-Experienced system managers and operations teams support researchers
-ISS is a real laboratory—it’s OK if things don’t work the first time!
-Highly adaptable to minimize research development costs and schedule to orbit
-Emphasis on flying ground or COTS hardware with minimal to no modifications
You are here

4. International Space Station Key
Features
 Supports both external and internal
research
 Automated, human and robotic
operated research
 Nearly continuous data and
communication link to anywhere in
the world
 Modularity and maintainability built
into the design ensures mission
life, allows life extension, vehicle
evolution and technology upgrades

5. Meeting the Needs of the Utilization
Community – ISS Infrastructure
Recent Upgrades
 Additional S/G channels to
enable PI’s to talk to the crew
 Increased ability for high
quality video downlink
 Increased data downlink
 Command and telemetry
capability using internet
protocols via Stella (IP
encapsulation)
 110VAC power
 Crew time consistently
averaging 35 hours per week
– sometimes more
Upcoming Additions
 Higher quality cameras to
take advantage of increased
downlink capability
 KU forward link provides
capability for standard
internet protocols
 Increased bandwidth down
 External wireless
 DelayTolerant Network
 Web-based access
 4th crew to increase crew time
to average 68.5 hours per
week
The delta effort to use ISS is not nearly as high as has been perceived.

6. SoftwareToolkit for Ethernet Lab-Like Architecture
A generic software toolkit for Payload Developers to integrate at their ground monitoring
laboratory, and also within their flight payload computer, to accommodate all of the unique
software formatting required to communicate with the ISS.

7. Meeting the Needs of the Utilization
Community – Research Capabilities
Internal
 Rodent, drosophila
, cell, and plant
research
 On orbit analysis
External
 Earth pointing platform
 Exposure platforms
 Deployment capabilities for
CubeSat and larger payloads

8. Next Steps: Creating a More
Laboratory-Like Environment
 Modifying the operational concept for a more realistic
experiment model
 More flexibility in operations allowing for more trial and
error experimentation
 Develop an envelope of pre-approved activities to be
executed depending on what the results dictate
 Crew as a collaborator
 Paradigm shift in the operational world

9. Next Steps: Fly When You Are
Ready
 Continuing to simplify integration and operations for
utilization
 Goal is for ISS never to be the pacing item in being
ready for flight
 Stratified hardware verification, testing and crew training to
reduce planning and manifesting templates
 Evaluating changes in software and safety approaches to
minimize timelines for utilization

10. Cygnus
(Orbital)
Dragon (SpaceX)
Progress
ATV (ESA)
TV (JAXA)
ISS Cargo Vehicles Cargo Capacity
2,250 kg
Cargo Capacity
5,500 kg
Cargo Capacity
5,500 kg
Cargo Capacity
2,000 kg
Cargo Capacity
3,100 kg ascent

11. Researcher’s Guide Series
 Acceleration
Environment
 Cellular Biology
 Combustion Science
 Earth Observations
 Fluid Physics
 Fruit Fly Research
 Fundamental Physics
 Human Research
 Macromolecular Crystal
Growth
 Microbial Research
 Microgravity Materials
Research
 Plant Science
 Rodent Research
 Space Environmental
Effects
 Technology
Demonstration
Series of books to educate potential users on how their
ground-based experiments can be translated to space
Topics in yellow are available now. Remainder completed by Spring 2014.

13. Using ISS should be as easy as
If it’s not, tell us what we can improve upon.

14. WorldWideWeb
http://www.nasa.gov/iss-science/
FacilitiesCatalog
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/researc
h/facilities_category.html
Opportunities
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/researc
h/ops/index.html
Center for theAdvancement of
Science in Space
http://www.iss-casis.org/Home.aspx
For More Information

15. 15
Backup Charts

16. An Example of Commonality Across Platforms
Expansion of the standardized CubeSat form factor from suborbital to ISS;
from universities to industry
1
6
ISS capability for pressurized,
unpressurized, or deployment
of CubeSat type hardware

17. Disciplines that use the Laboratory
Life Sciences
Astrophysics, Heliophysics,X
-ray Astronomy
Materials
Earth Science
Technology Demonstration
Fluids and Combustion
Human Research
Astro-Biology