Commercial Innovation on the International Space Station

A New Era for an Orbiting Outpost

Orbiting approximately 250 miles above the Earth, the International Space Station (ISS) stands as a monumental achievement of engineering and international cooperation. For its first decade, this 460-ton laboratory, comparable in size to a football field, was primarily the domain of government space agencies from 15 countries, a symbol of human exploration dedicated to understanding the challenges of long-duration spaceflight.

This mission began to evolve in 2005 when the U.S. Congress designated the American segment of the ISS as a U.S. National Laboratory. This legislative act fundamentally altered the station’s purpose, opening its unique research facilities to a new class of pioneers: commercial companies, academic institutions, and other non-NASA government agencies. The goal was to leverage this one-of-a-kind platform to drive innovation that could yield tangible benefits for life on Earth and cultivate a robust commercial economy in low-Earth orbit. To manage this new endeavor, NASA partnered with the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), a nonprofit organization tasked with connecting terrestrial researchers with the out-of-this-world opportunities on the ISS National Lab. The station was no longer just a stepping stone to other worlds; it had become an orbital workshop for improving this one.

The Microgravity Advantage: Why Conduct Research in Space?

The primary value of the ISS as a laboratory lies in its persistent state of microgravity, a condition of continuous free-fall that effectively negates the force of gravity. This unique environment allows physical and biological phenomena to behave in ways that are impossible to observe on Earth, where gravity’s constant pull masks or overwhelms more subtle forces. By removing gravity from the equation, scientists can study the fundamental nature of materials and living systems, leading to breakthroughs across a wide range of fields.

Several key effects of microgravity are particularly valuable for commercial research:

• Reduced Sedimentation and Buoyancy: On Earth, in any fluid mixture, heavier particles sink and lighter ones rise. This process, known as sedimentation, makes it difficult to create and maintain perfectly uniform suspensions. In microgravity, this effect is virtually eliminated. Particles remain evenly dispersed, a property that is transformative for industries like pharmaceuticals, where creating stable, consistent liquid formulations of drugs is a major challenge.
• Suppressed Convection Currents: Heat-driven fluid motion, or convection, is a dominant force on Earth. It disrupts the delicate process of crystal formation, leading to smaller, less perfect structures. In the stillness of microgravity, crystals can grow larger and with a more orderly internal structure. This is critical for developing new drugs, where a perfect protein crystal can reveal its structure and help scientists design targeted therapies, and for manufacturing advanced materials like flawless optical fibers.
• Absence of Structural Stress: Gravity exerts a constant downward force, causing soft, complex structures to collapse under their own weight. This is a primary obstacle in the field of tissue engineering, where attempts to 3D print organs or cartilage often fail because the delicate structures cannot support themselves. In microgravity, these intricate biological constructs can be printed and allowed to mature without the need for supportive scaffolding, which can interfere with their natural development.
• Accelerated Aging Models: The human body reacts to the absence of gravity in ways that mimic the aging process on Earth, but on a much faster timeline. Astronauts experience accelerated bone density loss and changes to their immune systems that are similar to those seen in the elderly. This makes the ISS an invaluable platform for studying age-related diseases and testing potential therapies.

The common thread connecting these diverse research areas is that gravity on Earth often acts as a form of “noise,” a powerful variable that introduces imperfections and complicates processes. By conducting experiments in space, researchers can effectively remove this noise and “unmask” the underlying physics and chemistry. They gain a cleaner, more fundamental view of how materials form and how biological systems function. This knowledge can then be applied to improve processes back on the ground, sometimes by developing innovative techniques to counteract the very effects of gravity that were absent in space.

A Snapshot of Commercial Research in Orbit

The ISS National Lab has facilitated hundreds of projects for commercial entities, spanning a wide array of industries. The following table provides a high-level overview of some of the prominent companies and their research, which will be explored in greater detail throughout this report.

Revolutionizing Medicine from Orbit

Merck: Redefining Cancer Treatment Delivery

For many cancer patients, treatment involves spending hours in a hospital receiving drugs intravenously. Pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. sought a better way to deliver its powerful immunotherapy drug, Keytruda® (pembrolizumab). The goal was to develop a version that could be administered as a simple subcutaneous injection, a quick shot that would dramatically improve a patient’s quality of life. The primary obstacle was formulating a highly concentrated yet stable crystalline suspension of the drug. On Earth, the large, complex monoclonal antibody molecules in Keytruda® are difficult to crystallize uniformly due to gravity-driven sedimentation and convection.

Turning to the ISS, Merck designed a series of experiments to crystallize pembrolizumab in microgravity. In the absence of these gravitational forces, the molecules could assemble into more orderly and consistent crystal structures. The results were definitive. The crystals grown in space were remarkably uniform in size and shape, forming what is known as a homogenous monomodal particle distribution. This space-grown suspension was also less viscous and more stable than the control samples produced on the ground.

This was not merely an academic finding. Armed with the knowledge of what was possible without gravity, Merck’s scientists were able to translate the results back to their terrestrial labs. They developed a new ground-based process using rotational mixers to mimic the microgravity environment by constantly disrupting sedimentation. This innovation, born from spaceflight research, successfully reproduced the high-quality crystalline suspensions and is now paving the way for a new formulation of Keytruda® that could one day be administered as a simple injection, freeing patients from hours of IV infusions.

Redwire Space: Printing the Future of Human Tissue

Regenerative medicine holds the promise of repairing or replacing damaged human tissues and organs, but a major barrier has been the physical act of creation. On Earth, attempting to 3D print soft, complex biological structures is a battle against gravity. The delicate constructs, made from bio-inks containing living cells, tend to collapse under their own weight long before they can mature into functional tissue. This often necessitates the use of artificial scaffolds, which can impede the tissue’s natural development.

Redwire Space addressed this challenge by designing the BioFabrication Facility (BFF), a sophisticated 3D bioprinter for the ISS. In the weightless environment of space, the BFF can print intricate structures that hold their shape without supportive scaffolding, allowing the cells to organize and mature as they would in the human body. The BFF has achieved several groundbreaking successes, demonstrating its potential to revolutionize medicine. In a landmark experiment, it successfully printed the first human knee meniscus in space – a complex piece of cartilage that is frequently injured, particularly among military personnel. The printed meniscus was cultured for 14 days aboard the station before being returned to Earth for detailed analysis. The facility has also been used to print cardiac tissue, another step toward creating more complex tissues.

This research represents a significant advance toward a future where replacement tissues and organs are not just a dream but a reality. By manufacturing these complex biological products in orbit, Redwire’s work could one day help alleviate the critical shortage of organs for transplant on Earth, offering new hope to millions.

LambdaVision: Manufacturing Sight in Microgravity

For millions of people worldwide suffering from vision loss due to diseases like retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration, biotechnology company LambdaVision is developing a novel solution: a protein-based artificial retina. This innovative implant is constructed through a meticulous process of applying hundreds of ultra-thin, alternating layers of a light-activated protein called bacteriorhodopsin. On Earth, this layer-by-layer assembly is hampered by gravity. The protein particles in the liquid solution tend to settle, a process called sedimentation, which results in uneven layers and microscopic defects that compromise the implant’s quality and effectiveness.

LambdaVision turned to the ISS National Lab to overcome this terrestrial limitation. By manufacturing the artificial retinas in microgravity, the protein solution remains perfectly mixed, allowing for a far more uniform and precise deposition of each layer. This project showcases how space-based R&D can mature from a theoretical concept to a viable production strategy. Across nine separate missions to the ISS, LambdaVision has systematically refined its process. Early flights focused on validating the hardware – miniaturizing a lab-bench-sized system into a compact, automated CubeLab – and proving the fundamental concept. Subsequent missions have focused on optimizing the manufacturing process, improving quality control, and demonstrating reproducibility. The results have been compelling: the retinas produced in orbit exhibit superior uniformity, stability, and optical quality compared to those made on the ground.

This iterative approach demonstrates that the ISS is more than just a place for one-off experiments; it is a platform for sustained product development. Supported by implementation partners like Space Tango, which help translate lab science into flight-ready hardware, LambdaVision is on a path to creating one of the first medical therapies manufactured in space for use on Earth. If successful, these higher-quality implants could restore meaningful vision to people who are blind.

Boeing: A Shield Against Microbes

On long-duration space missions, such as a journey to Mars, the health of the crew is paramount. In the closed, confined environment of a spacecraft, harmful microbes can spread easily. The unique conditions of space, including radiation and microgravity, can even cause some bacteria to become more virulent or resistant to antibiotics, posing a significant threat to both crew and equipment.

To address this, aerospace leader Boeing, in collaboration with the University of Queensland, developed an innovative antimicrobial polymer coating designed to kill bacteria and viruses on contact. To test its effectiveness in a real-world space environment, they launched an experiment to the ISS. The investigation involved placing two sets of high-touch objects – such as airplane seat buckles, fabrics, and armrests – in various locations around the station. One set was treated with the antimicrobial coating, while the other was left as an uncoated control. Astronauts were instructed to touch these surfaces periodically, transferring the natural microbes from their skin to the test articles. This method provided a realistic test of the coating’s durability and performance against a diverse microbial population over time.

The experiment has been conducted in multiple phases to assess its long-term durability. After months in orbit, the samples are returned to Earth for detailed analysis to measure microbial growth. While full results are pending completion of the multi-stage experiment, preliminary findings from the first flight were described as “encouraging.” A second, more extensive phase of the experiment launched in late 2023 to test the coating’s performance over a longer period and in more areas of the station. While this technology is being developed with deep-space exploration in mind, its potential applications on Earth are vast. A durable, long-lasting antimicrobial coating could be deployed in hospitals, on public transit, in schools, and in other high-traffic areas to help curb the spread of infectious diseases.

Forging New Materials and Consumer Products

Advanced Fiber Optics: The Search for Flawless Transmission

The global internet, modern telecommunications, and countless other technologies rely on fiber optic cables to transmit data as pulses of light. However, the performance of these cables is inherently limited by the manufacturing process on Earth. When the glass fiber is drawn, gravity induces the formation of tiny imperfections and micro-crystals in its structure. These flaws scatter and absorb the light signal, weakening it over distance. A special type of fluoride glass known as ZBLAN has the theoretical potential to be vastly superior to traditional silica fiber, but it is especially susceptible to these gravity-induced defects.

To unlock the true potential of this material, companies including Flawless Photonics, Mercury Systems, and Made In Space (now part of Redwire) have developed and sent automated fiber-drawing machines to the ISS. By manufacturing the fiber in microgravity, they can prevent the crystallization process, resulting in a glass structure that is almost perfectly uniform and transparent. The results have been remarkable. Experiments have successfully produced long lengths of ZBLAN fiber in space that are demonstrably superior to any made on the ground. One investigation produced over 8 kilometers of continuous fiber, proving that manufacturing at a commercial scale is feasible. The ongoing goal is to produce fiber that is at least ten times more efficient than its terrestrial counterparts.

The implications of this research are significant. Flawless optical fibers could revolutionize telecommunications, enabling dramatically faster data speeds over much longer distances without the need for costly signal amplifiers. This technology also has significant applications in high-power industrial lasers, ultra-sensitive remote sensing equipment, and advanced medical devices like laser scalpels.

Goodyear: Reinventing the Wheel from Orbit

In the competitive tire industry, even small improvements in performance can have a large impact. One of the key components in modern tires is silica, a compound added to the rubber to reduce rolling resistance. Lower rolling resistance means the tire glides more easily over the road, which directly improves a vehicle’s fuel efficiency. The specific shape and structure of the silica particles play a important role in this property.

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company launched an investigation to the ISS to explore whether new and potentially more beneficial forms of silica could be created in space. The hypothesis was that in microgravity, free from the constraints of gravity-driven aggregation, the silica particles might assemble themselves into unique structures, or morphologies, that are not achievable on Earth. To test this, astronauts aboard the station conducted the experiment to form silica particles, while Goodyear scientists ran an identical control experiment in their labs on the ground. After the experiment was complete, the space-formed samples were frozen and returned to Earth for detailed analysis.

The goal of this research is to identify novel silica structures that could be incorporated into future tire designs. If a new morphology is discovered that significantly enhances a tire’s performance, it could lead to a new generation of tires that offer greater fuel efficiency. For consumers, this would mean savings at the gas pump and a reduced environmental footprint for transportation.

Procter & Gamble: Better Living Through Space Science

Consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble (P&G) has conducted multiple investigations on the ISS, demonstrating a clear strategy of using space-based research to solve fundamental challenges that have direct applications to their massive terrestrial markets. This dual-use approach, addressing both the needs of future space exploration and the demands of Earth-bound consumers, provides a powerful model for commercial R&D in orbit.

The first line of research focused on a problem central to long-duration spaceflight: laundry. On a multi-year mission to Mars, water will be an incredibly precious resource that must be continuously recycled. Standard detergents are not compatible with the closed-loop life support systems planned for such missions. This challenge mirrors P&G’s sustainability goals on Earth, which include reducing water and energy consumption. In response, P&G developed Tide Infinity, a fully degradable detergent formulated specifically for use in space. They sent this detergent, along with Tide To Go Pens and Wipes, to the ISS to test its stability and stain-removal capabilities in microgravity. The initial results were promising, showing that the detergent was effective and that the resulting wastewater was compatible with reclamation systems, a critical validation for both space and Earth applications.

P&G’s second major research area involved the study of colloids – mixtures of tiny particles suspended in a liquid. Many of the company’s products, from shampoos to fabric sprays, are colloids. On Earth, gravity causes the particles in these mixtures to separate over time, which can impact product performance and limit shelf-life. By sending colloidal mixtures to the ISS, P&G researchers could observe the interactions between particles without the masking effects of gravity-driven sedimentation. This fundamental research provided a deeper understanding of the forces that govern the stability of these mixtures. The knowledge gained was directly applied to improve the formulation of Febreze Unstopables Touch Fabric Spray, a product that relies on keeping microscopic perfume capsules evenly suspended in a liquid. This became the first P&G product to directly benefit from the company’s research in space.

Delta Faucet: Optimizing the Flow

In an effort to conserve water, modern shower heads are designed with lower flow rates. However, this often results in a weaker spray and a less satisfying user experience, leading some consumers to take longer showers and undermining the conservation goal. Delta Faucet Company developed its H2OKinetic technology to address this trade-off, engineering a shower head that shapes water into larger, faster-moving droplets to create the feeling of a high-pressure shower while using less water.

To further refine this technology, Delta needed a more fundamental understanding of the physics of water droplet formation, a process that is significantly influenced by gravity. The company sent an experiment to the ISS to study how water droplets form and behave in a microgravity environment. Astronauts installed the hardware in the station’s Microgravity Science Glovebox and used high-speed cameras to record the fluid dynamics as water flowed through the device.

The experiment provided Delta’s engineers with a unique dataset, free from the complexities of gravity, revealing new information about the underlying principles of droplet behavior. This insight is now being used to inform the design of future H2OKinetic products. The research conducted in orbit could lead to the development of new shower heads that are even more effective at conserving both water and the energy needed to heat it, while simultaneously improving the shower experience for consumers on Earth.

Accelerating Technology in the Final Frontier

Hewlett Packard Enterprise: Edge Computing in Orbit

Space exploration and Earth observation generate staggering volumes of data. From high-resolution satellite imagery to complex DNA sequencing, the amount of information collected in orbit can quickly overwhelm the limited data downlink capacity to Earth. Traditionally, raw data had to be sent back to ground-based supercomputers for analysis, a slow and expensive process that created a significant bottleneck for scientific discovery.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) tackled this problem by pioneering the use of high-performance “edge computing” in space. The concept is to process data right where it is collected, sending only the valuable insights back to Earth, rather than the massive raw datasets. HPE sent a series of powerful, commercial off-the-shelf computers to the ISS, named Spaceborne Computer-1 and Spaceborne Computer-2. In a departure from traditional space hardware, these systems were not protected by heavy, expensive radiation shielding. Instead, they relied on sophisticated software to detect and mitigate radiation-induced errors, proving that modern commercial computers could operate reliably in the harsh environment of space.

The experiments were a landmark success. Spaceborne Computer-2 has successfully executed dozens of complex data processing tasks for researchers, proving the viability of in-space supercomputing. In one dramatic demonstration, it analyzed a 1.8 GB DNA sequence dataset in just six minutes. It then compressed the results to a mere 92 KB and transmitted them to Earth in two seconds. Using the traditional method, simply downloading the raw data for analysis would have taken more than 12 hours. In another application, HPE partnered with NASA and Microsoft to develop an AI program that could inspect images of astronaut gloves in real-time to detect signs of damage, a critical safety check before a spacewalk. The system has also been used to process satellite imagery of Earth to rapidly identify flooded areas after a hurricane.

This technology represents a paradigm shift for space exploration, enabling greater autonomy for astronauts and accelerating the pace of science on future missions to the Moon and Mars. It also has significant terrestrial applications, as the rugged, powerful edge computing systems developed for space can be deployed in other harsh or remote environments on Earth, from disaster relief zones to industrial facilities.

Cultivating Agriculture for a Changing World

Budweiser: Brewing Better Barley

As Earth’s climate changes, agriculture faces increasing pressure from environmental stressors like drought and extreme heat. Developing more resilient crops is essential for ensuring global food security. Budweiser, a brand of Anheuser-Busch and a major user of barley, has taken a long-term view on this challenge by investing in fundamental agricultural research aboard the ISS.

The company has sponsored a series of experiments to study how barley seeds germinate and malt in microgravity. The space environment acts as a unique control. By removing the constant stress of gravity, researchers can observe the plant’s growth and development in a “pure” state, providing a clearer view of its underlying genetic programming. The experiments involve growing different strains of barley, including proprietary cultivars, in specialized hardware on the station and comparing their development to identical control samples on the ground.

The primary goal of this research is not to brew beer on Mars, although that remains a long-term ambition. The immediate benefit is for agriculture on Earth. By analyzing the genetic expression of the space-grown barley, scientists hope to identify the specific genes that govern traits like stress resistance and growth efficiency. This fundamental knowledge can then be used by agricultural scientists to breed new varieties of barley, and potentially other crops, that are better equipped to thrive in the challenging growing conditions of a changing world.

Summary

The designation of the International Space Station’s U.S. segment as a National Laboratory has successfully transformed the orbiting outpost from a purely governmental platform into a vibrant, dual-use R&D workshop. The program has become a powerful catalyst for commercial innovation, enabling companies across a multitude of industries to leverage the unique environment of microgravity to pursue breakthroughs that would be difficult, if not impossible, to achieve on Earth.

The research conducted through the ISS National Lab is delivering tangible returns. In medicine, companies like Merck are developing more patient-friendly drug delivery methods for cancer therapies, while Redwire and LambdaVision are pioneering the future of regenerative medicine by printing human tissue and manufacturing artificial retinas in orbit. In materials science, the production of flawless optical fibers promises to revolutionize telecommunications, and investigations by Goodyear could lead to more sustainable transportation. Consumer goods giants like Procter & Gamble and Delta Faucet are using fundamental fluid physics research to create more effective and environmentally friendly products. Meanwhile, technology leaders like Hewlett Packard Enterprise are rewriting the rules of data processing, enabling real-time analysis in space that accelerates discovery. Even agriculture is benefiting, with companies like Budweiser exploring the genetics of staple crops to help feed a changing world.

This diverse portfolio of commercial activity demonstrates a maturing low-Earth orbit economy. The work conducted 250 miles above the planet is not isolated from life below; it is directly aimed at improving it. The ISS has proven that the final frontier is becoming a vital new frontier for commercial research and development.