COMMERCIAL PLATFORM OFFERS EXPOSURE AT SPACE STATION

FROM:  NASA
WASHINGTON -- Researchers will be able to expose experiments to the
weightlessness and vacuum of space by using a new commercial platform
outside of International Space Station (ISS).

NanoRacks LLC will develop and operate the External Platform Program
(EPP) to take advantage of the only orbiting lab that offers
long-term, repeat access to the unique environment of unpressurized
space. NanoRacks is a private company already operating research
facilities under a NASA Space Act Agreement for use of the station's
U.S. National Laboratory.

The EPP and equipment will be developed and operated using only
commercial funding. NASA will contribute space station hardware and
resources such as power and data transmission systems. The Center for
the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), which manages the
portion of the station operated as a U.S. National Laboratory, will
reserve the first external platform site for commercial researchers.
The external platform, scheduled to be launched by 2014, will provide
low-cost access to space. It is designed to encourage users to test
materials, biological samples, sensors and sophisticated electronics
outside the space station, which orbits 240 miles above Earth.

"This program opens the door to allow commercial users to fully
utilize not only the U.S. National Laboratory in a pressurized
environment but also outside," said ISS National Laboratory Manager
Marybeth Edeen. "It's another example how companies are investing
their own money to take advantage of this unique national resource."

NanoRacks selected Astrium North America as a team member in the
development of the EPP facility. The program capitalizes on the
history and strengths of the two companies in providing external
payload platforms, operating commercial facilities, and using
off-the-shelf hardware, standard interfaces and existing space
station data and power systems.

The contributions by NanoRacks and Astrium are the most recent example
of NASA efforts to expand the station's research capacity through
innovative partnerships with commercial companies.

"This new capability offers unique opportunities for the research
community and industry to engage in exciting areas of study,
including materials and observational sciences," said CASIS Interim
Executive Director Jim Royston.

NanoRacks operates platforms inside the U.S. National Laboratory,
which also were financed and developed solely by the commercial
company and its partners.