- Success Stories
- Space Science Application Support & Operations
Ensuring Safety and Support for Sample Testing on the International Space Station
The International Space Station (ISS) gives scientists the opportunity to study the effects of space travel on human and plant tissues as well as understand how physical materials react during formation or exposure to a microgravity environment. CSS provides integrative expertise to NASA to support research and development and technology demonstrations conducted on the ISS, including a recent experiment testing a new technique for growing semimetal conductor composite crystals in microgravity. The intent is to develop these crystals into “wafers” by capitalizing on the unique physical characteristics of microgravity that reduces the potential for inconsistencies and imperfections during the formation process improving their use in electronic devices.
For this effort, CSS employee owners work with all the stake holders (NASA project team, principal investigator (PI) team, operations team and ISS Integration team) to develop a research mission that ensures all science objectives and engineering requirements are met, and the payload is safe for ISS operations. Additionally, CSS staff support ISS crew members during real-time operations to ensure mission success. Finally, after the testing, CSS ensures delivery of the samples/ science back to the PI team for analysis.
The new material recently endured a successful mission on orbit, and the team turned over six new samples for delivery to the International Space Station.
Visit the Space.com photo of the day to learn more about the crystal wafers.
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Atmospheric Processing System Support
The NOAA Unique Combined Atmospheric Processing System (NUCAPS) is an operational retrieval algorithm that NOAA’s National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Services has been using since 2002. This system generates near real-time atmospheric profiles of temperature, water vapour, and trace gases, as well as Outgoing Longwave Radiation (OLR) needed for weather forecasting. CSS Remote Sensing…
Rapid Reporting of a Close Call Incident
CSS Safety Protocols During a routine collection of waste, a container of white powder disintegrated without warning, causing the powder to spill and be expelled into the air. Thanks to CSS’s safety protocols and quick response, our Center for Disease Control waste disposal staff was able to assess the situation and respond to the chemical…
Organizing Teams to Monitor Coastal Contaminants
For nearly 40 years NOAA’s National Mussel Watch Program has been monitoring contaminants in coastal waters in over 400 sites around the U.S. by testing sediment and bivalves, such as oysters and mussels. A CSS employee owner organizes and coordinates the regional missions to collect and test samples. This includes developing a schedule and coordinating…