2021 International Space Station National Laboratory Annual Report Now Available

The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, Inc. (CASIS) has released the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21, October 1, 2020, through September 30, 2021). For more than 10 years, CASIS has managed the ISS National Laboratory through a Cooperative Agreement with NASA. The FY21 Annual Report showcases ISS National Lab accomplishments in enabling space-based research and technology development (R&D) that brings value to humanity and stimulates a robust and sustainable market in low Earth orbit (LEO).

Highlights within the FY21 Annual Report include the following:

• CASIS released a new series of ISS National Lab Research Announcements (NLRAs) focused on key research areas that have shown the most potential to provide value to our nation. These areas include technology development and demonstration, in-space production applications (in advanced manufacturing and materials as well as tissue engineering and biomanufacturing), and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education (both kindergarten through 12th grade and higher education).
• CASIS received a record-setting 185 proposals this year, in large part due to targeted outreach efforts associated with the release of the FY21 NLRAs.
• Nearly 950 hours of astronaut crew time were devoted to ISS National Lab-sponsored R&D.
• In FY21, nearly 95% of CASIS funding was used to cover Implementation Partner costs for ISS National Lab-sponsored R&D, representing the highest percentage in a single fiscal year.
• This year, 27 peer-reviewed publications detail results related to ISS National Lab-sponsored R&D, with a majority of those investigations funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.
• ISS National Lab Space Station Explorers education partner programs engaged more than 3.8 million people in FY21.

These and the many additional achievements highlighted in the FY21 Annual Report demonstrate the success of the ISS National Lab in stimulating expansion of the LEO economy. Over the past decade, CASIS has built the foundation for the ISS National Lab successes achieved today. In the years to come, CASIS is dedicated to continuing to carry out the mission of the ISS National Lab and pave the way for a future national laboratory in LEO to enable space-based R&D that benefits the nation.

The FY21 Annual Report is now available online at www.issnationallab.org/ar2021.

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About the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory: The International Space Station (ISS) is a one-of-a-kind laboratory that enables research and technology development not possible on Earth. As a public service enterprise, the ISS National Lab allows researchers to leverage this multiuser facility to improve life on Earth, mature space-based business models, advance science literacy in the future workforce, and expand a sustainable and scalable market in low Earth orbit. Through this orbiting national laboratory, research resources on the ISS are available to support non-NASA science, technology and education initiatives from U.S. government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, Inc. (CASIS) manages the ISS National Lab, under Cooperative Agreement with NASA, facilitating access to its permanent microgravity research environment, a powerful vantage point in low Earth orbit, and the extreme and varied conditions of space. To learn more about the ISS National Lab, visit www.ISSNationalLab.org.