The Space Life Sciences of the International Space Station/Centrifuge Accommodation Module

Abstract

The International Space Station (ISS) will provide a permanent laboratory to address fundamental questions on the influences of a variety of gravity levels on living organisms. To aid in this endeavor, gravitational biology research facility, or ‘‘Centrifuge’’, for the Space Station is currently under development. In practice, long-term habitation in space, settlement on the Moon, and travel to Mars all require that we learn how to sustain life in a variety of gravitational environments, and this facility also includes the capability to provide ‘‘reduced gravity’’ likely on the Moon or on Mars in ways impossible on Earth. This means that the on-orbit studies attainable in the Centrifuge are essential to the future of our space exploration efforts. According to the bilateral barter agreement between the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) and NASA, JAXA is providing the three payloads, i.e., the Centrifuge Rotor (CR) , Life Sciences Glovebox (LSG) and Centrifuge Accommodation Module (CAM) in exchange for Shuttle transportation oftheJapanese Experiment Module to the station. In the current schedules, the LSG and CR/CAM will be transported to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida in early 2006 and December 2007, respectively. Given the grounding of the Space Shuttle fleet following the Feb. 2003 loss of the Columbia, LSG and CR/CAM launches re-plan efforts are underway.