“The cooperative agreement will advance technology developments and research by establishing a permanent external location for materials research,” Alpha Space said.
The agreement will lead to a Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) research facility on the ISS by 2017, with support missions every six months up to 2024.
Materials science is a growing field that could provide valuable technological breakthroughs, including exploring nanotechnology and testing stronger materials for potential commercial, industrial and military use.
“MISSE will provide unparalleled materials testing and data collection for both passive and active materials samples at an affordable cost to the experiment community,” Alpha Space said in the statement.
Astronauts from Russia, the United States and other countries conduct scientific research aboard the ISS.
