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Past as Prologue – When asked what the future holds for humans in space, it’s tempting to recall the plots of favorite science fiction films. Often involving astronauts, rockets and intergalactic conflicts – they rarely explore the essential “behind the scenes” science that enables space exploration.
This is why I am grateful for this opportunity to recognize the pioneering efforts of many unsung heroes who, through research conducted on the International Space Station (ISS), have paved the way for generations to come.
First, I would like to congratulate my colleagues at the ISS US National Laboratory for their many contributions to the advancement of scientific discovery in low Earth orbit. They brought a level of access and convenience to space research that was unprecedented when the first crew boarded the space station 20 years ago.
Once upon a time, all roads to space passed through NASA; Today, government agencies, academic institutions and private industry can conduct work on the ISS directly through the ISS National Lab. Indeed, for less than the cost of a high school’s football team uniforms, a school could afford to perform an unmanned experiment aboard the International Space Station.
Reading the blogs of other guests featured in this 20th anniversary series, lingering themes emerged: the commercialization and democratization of space and the scientific advances made on the station that would not have been possible on Earth. It is through this lens that I look forward to the future of research and development in space.
Why space experiments are important
Before looking into my crystal ball to see what the next twenty years might hold for humans in space, I think it’s important to answer two key questions: Why invest in space research? And why can’t we conduct this research on Earth?
To answer the first: the experiments conducted on the International Space Station have led to insights into natural phenomena and technological innovations that have not only laid the foundation for sustained space exploration, but have also led to benefits here on Earth. An example: learning how to grow plants in space triggered technological advances such as LED “grow lights” which later benefited from vertical indoor farming on Earth. Another example: the creation of a fifth state of matter at ultracold temperatures, a Bose-Einstein condensate, in space allows the study of unique geometries such as “bubbles” and could support the development of quantum physics applications such as ultra-sensitive sensing and timekeeping.
Another example: The study of flames in space has led to the discovery of “cold flames” invisible to the naked eye and the study of which is helping to advance combustion technology on Earth. And: Studying microbes in extreme environments is enabling researchers to understand viruses and bacteria in the hope that they can develop future treatments.
To answer the second question, why can’t we carry out this research on Earth: in short, the unique conditions of the spaceflight environment, including altered gravity and space radiation, offer unique opportunities for researchers to study biological and physical systems. in ways not possible on our planet. Researchers can use microgravity to study systems in the absence of buoyancy-driven convection, sedimentation, and hydrostatic pressure.
Taking up the science fiction film analogy, the lack of sedimentation and convection creates scene-like situations where the hero dodges bullets in slow motion, manipulating their trajectories as if they were stationary. So it is also similar for scientists who use the properties of microgravity to study systems that are not stable on the ground. Colloidal suspension studies supported by NASA’s Division of Biological and Physical Sciences and the ISS National Lab on the space station provided scientific insights and driven improvements to consumer products such as shampoo and fabric softener.
BPS has developed a critical infrastructure for such experiments conducted on the space station. Our division, often in collaboration with industrial partners, has developed novel hardware, techniques and experimental processes for its grant-based research and made them accessible to the ISS National Lab.
Therefore, NASA helps develop capabilities that can be used by commercial industry and academia to make further scientific advances and innovations.
It is with this story of openness and collaboration in mind that I envision a future where new generations of scientists and entrepreneurs will work together to take humans and technology further than we can imagine.
The decade ahead
As we seek to establish a sustained presence on the Moon, and eventually Mars, we need to deepen our scientific understanding of the systems needed to do so.
The celebration of the 20th anniversary of the International Space Station is timely. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) have started the process for the development of the Decadal Survey on Biological and Physical Sciences in Space 2023-2032.
The Decadal Survey will solicit input from the research community and space flight service providers to identify priorities for the next decade and inform NASA’s research mission. Scientists and engineers from around the world, representing a wide range of disciplines and engineering, are invited to share research concepts and skills that will help us answer the most important scientific questions that await us in the next decade.
And it will affect the resulting research that will eventually have to be conducted in space.
A national imperative
The space station served as a critical experimental platform and proving ground. The International Space Station partners have all pledged to support operations until at least 2024, and active discussions are underway on extending its operational lifespan to 2028 or 2030. At some point, the ISS as we know it “will go retired “, and given the long lead time research lines can take, let’s look at who will develop his successors. Most likely, commercial companies will seize the opportunity to set up rental laboratories in low Earth orbit. I expect this will include a future where NASA will be a customer who literally and figuratively rents the space. Indeed, NASA is actively working to enable this future through its commercial low-earth orbit development activities that include a habitable module to add to the space station and a future solicitation for manned free flight.
A seamless transition between stations will be critical for many ongoing long-term studies. Today, virtually every minute of the crew member’s time on the station is choreographed. While some experiments don’t require human interaction, many others do. To continue the pace of scientific discovery and understand and plan the long-term effects of prolonged spaceflight, it will be essential that the ISS National Lab, NASA, industry and others have uninterrupted access to a research platform in space.
Therefore, as we ponder the future of human beings, both in space and on this planet, it is imperative to continue to support research that will allow us to thrive. There is much more to learn about how fundamental systems work, and the knowledge we gain in space could one day be used for improvements on our planet.
For Earth, space research could manifest itself as better vertical farming techniques, longer shelf life for consumer products, medical advances, and power plant innovations. For sustained human space exploration, this research is essential for the health and performance of the crew.
To sustain a human presence in space, we need to make sure that the structures we build can withstand the extreme conditions found on other planets. We need to find ways to use the materials available to us on the planets we inhabit. We must ensure that humans living and working in space have access to nutrient-rich food and clean water. And we need to make sure these pioneers can safely return to Earth.
To grow bravely
I would like to close with another analogy. I would compare the International Space Station to a garden – one in which not only fruits, vegetables and plants are grown, but which also cultivates ideas and collects scientific results.
So to boldly go where no one has gone before, we must boldly grow the science and technology that will enable us to do so. I look forward to the innovative ideas that the Decadal Survey will produce in the service of this mission.
Thanks again to many scientists, engineers, program managers, astronauts and others whose contributions to the station over the past 20 years have created an enduring legacy.
– Craig Kundrot is the director of NASA’s division of physical and biological sciences (BPS). BPS’s mission is twofold: to pave the way for scientific discovery and to allow the exploration of space flight.
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