Commercial access for UK/ESA student experiments on board the ISS

Abstract

School students in the US have the ability tocommercially fly experiments on-board the International SpaceStation (ISS) via programmes like the Nanoracks sponsoredStudent Spaceflight Experiment Program (SSEP). Programs likeSSEP do allow international schools to participate but similarprogrammes do not currently exist within the European SpaceAgency (ESA). ESA does, however, support commercial access tospace via companies like Airbus and Kayser Italia. A key principleof SSEP is that students propose to fly experiments that will workwithin existing spaceflight hardware. This is similar to the idea ofusing standardized CubeSat platforms in education and ESA’slong-standing use of standardized Experiment Containers (ECs).These ECs form the starting point for Airbus and Kayser Italia’scommercial access programmes. In 2018 we were selected by theUK Space Agency to develop and fly a UK national payload to theISS. This payload will conduct scientific experiments proposed byourselves, international partners, and schools in the UK. Allexperiments will take place inside ECs that are refurbished, andflight qualified in the UK. If we can successfully conduct studentexperiments during this mission, we will have demonstrated thepossibility of conducting UK student experiments in space via aUK company. This should pave the way for UK-based commercialaccess to the ISS that could be used by schools much like the USbased SSEP.</div