This updated edition is packed with numerous benefits of the microgravity laboratory highlighting groundbreaking discoveries helping society, technologies tested for future space exploration, new scientific breakthroughs, and contributions to the growing low-Earth orbit (LEO) economy. This edition focuses on new areas of scientific study that are resulting from the last two decades of ISS research, future technologies for the exploration of the Moon and Mars, lifesaving discoveries, and the companies and economic benefits enabled by this research. The orbiting laboratory is advancing the field of in-space manufacturing, from 3D printed human tissue to optical fibers for communication.

The International Space Station (ISS) is a unique scientific platform that enables researchers from all over the world to put their talents to work on innovative experiments that could not be done anywhere else. Although each space station partner has distinct agency goals for station research, each partner shares a unified goal to extend the resulting knowledge for the betterment of humanity. We may not know yet what will be the most important discovery gained from the space station, but we already have some amazing breakthroughs. In the areas of human health, innovative technology, education and observations of Earth from space, there are already demonstrated benefits to people back on Earth. Lives have been saved, station-generated images assist with disaster relief, new materials improve products, and education programs inspire future scientists, engineers and space explorers. Some benefits in this updated second edition have expanded in scope. In other cases, new benefits have developed. Since the publication of the first edition, a new constituency has developed, one that is using the ISS in a totally different fashion-to develop a commercial market in low-Earth orbit. From pharmaceutical companies conducting commercially-funded research on ISS, to private firms offering unique research capabilities and other services, to commercial cargo and crew, the ISS is proving itself to be just as adaptable to new business relationships as it has been for a broad diversity in research disciplines. This book summarizes the scientific, technological and educational accomplishments of research on the space station that have had and will continue to have an impact to life on Earth. All serve as examples of the space station's potential as a groundbreaking research facility. Through advancing the state of scientific knowledge of our planet, looking after our health, developing advanced technologies and providing a space platform that inspires and educates the science and technology leaders of tomorrow, these benefits will drive the legacy of the space station as its research strengthens economies and enhances the quality of life here on Earth for all people.

Hardcover, full-color print. The third edition of the International Space Station Benefits for Humanity is a compilation of benefits being realized from International Space Station (ISS) activities in the areas of human health, Earth observations and disaster response, innovative technology, global education, and economic development of space. This revision also includes new assessments of economic value and scientific value in more detail than the second edition. The third edition contains updated statistics on the impacts of the benefits as well as new benefits that have developed since the previous publication. International Space Station Benefits for Humanity is a product of the ISS Program Science Forum (PSF), which consists of senior science representatives across the ISS international partnership.

This publication shares the successes of the International Space Station (ISS) in this second edition of the International Space Station Benefits for Humanity. The ISS is a unique scientific platform that has existed since 1998. The tremendous value of the ISS began through the engineering achievement evolving over a decade. Components were built in various countries around the world-all without the benefit of prior ground testing-allowing us to learn a vast amount about construction and about how humans and spacecraft systems function in orbit. This testament to the international achievement exemplifies cultural harmonization through cooperative teamwork leading to an international partnership that has continued to flourish and foster international cooperation. While each ISS partner has distinct agency goals for research conducted, a unified goal exists to extend the knowledge gleaned to benefit all humankind. In the first edition of the book released in 2012, the scientific, technological and educational accomplishments of ISS research that have an impact on life on Earth were summarized through a compilation of stories. The many benefits being realized were primarily in the areas of human health, Earth observations and disaster response, and global education. This second edition includes updated statistics on the impacts of those benefits as well as new benefits that have developed since the first publication. In addition, two new sections have been added to the book: Economic Development of Space and Innovative Technology. Economic Development of Space highlights case studies from public-private partnerships that are leading to a new economy in low-Earth orbit (LEO). Businesses provide both transportation to the ISS as well as some research facilities and services. These relationships promote a paradigm shift of government-funded, contractor-provided goods and services to commercially-provided goods purchased by government agencies. Other examples include commercial firms spending their research and development dollars to conduct investigations on ISS and commercial service providers selling services directly to ISS users. This section provides examples of the use of ISS as a testbed for new business relationships and illustrates successful partnerships. The second new section, Innovative Technology, merges technology demonstration and physical science findings that promise to return Earth benefits through continued research. Examples include robotic refueling concepts for life extensions of costly satellites in geo-synchronous orbit that have applications to the robotics industry on Earth, flame behavior experiments that reveal insight into how fuel burns in microgravity leading to the possibility of improving engine efficiency on Earth, and nanostructures and smart fluids examples of materials improvements that are being developed using data from ISS. This publication also expands the benefits of research results in human health, environmental change and disaster response and in education activities developed to capture student imaginations in support of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, or STEM, education, internationally. Applications to human health of the knowledge gained on ISS continue to grow and improve healthcare technologies and our understanding of human physiology. The ISS is a stepping stone for future space exploration, as the only orbiting multi-disciplinary laboratory of its kind returning research results that develop LEO and improve life on our planet. The goal of this publication is to serve as a source of pride to those who read it and learn of the unique shared laboratory orbiting our planet that provides ground for critical technologies and ways to keep humans healthy in space.

Almost as soon as the International Space Station was habitable, researchers began using it to study the impact of microgravity and other space effects on several aspects of our daily lives. This unique scientific platform continues to enable researchers from all over the world to put their talents to work on innovative experiments that could not be done anywhere else. Although each space station partner has distinct agency goals for station research, each partner shares a unified goal to extend the resulting knowledge for the betterment of humanity. We may not know yet what will be the most important discovery gained from the space station, but we already have some amazing breakthroughs! In the areas of human health, telemedicine, education and observations of Earth from space, there are already demonstrated benefits to human life. Vaccine development research, station-generated images that assist with disaster relief and farming, and education programs that inspire future scientists, engineers and space explorers are just some examples of research benefits. This book summarizes the scientific, technological and educational accomplishments of research on the space station that has had and will continue to have an impact on life on Earth. The benefits outlined here serve as examples of the space station's potential as a groundbreaking scientific research facility. Through advancing the state of scientific knowledge of our planet, looking after our health, and providing a space platform that inspires and educates the science and technology leaders of tomorrow, these benefits will drive the legacy of the space station as its research strengthens economies and enhances the quality of life here on Earth for all people.

This new edition fills more than 200 pages with the many benefits of conducting research on the orbiting microgravity laboratory and includes new assessments of the economic value, as well as greater detail about the scientific value, of the International Space Station. In the more than 18 years of crewed operation, thousands of researchers on the ground in more than 100 countries have conducted more than 2,500 experiments in microgravity, and that number continues to grow. This book provides examples of research accomplishments in areas of economic development of space, innovative technology, human health, Earth observations and disaster response, and global education. Each member of the International Space Station Program Science Forum provides their unique perspectives about the benefits of research and technology development, market innovation, and the ongoing support of a sustainable space-based economy.