Report from Headquarters
Certified Space Program
Written by: developer
Planet LLC Joins Space Certification Program
The Space Foundation recently announced three PLANET LLC commercial products: Space Garden Kit, JSC-1A Lunar Regolith Simulant, and JSC-Mars-1A Martian Regolith Simulant, as recently added Certified Educational Products.
Space Garden Kit’s unique growth chamber is a ground-based version of an actual vegetable growth system designed for the International Space Station. Space Garden comes with all the materials needed to conduct biological, agricultural, and life science investigations just like the astronauts. The flight version flew with Astronaut Barbara Morgan on STS-118, went to the International Space Station, and was part of NASA’s 2007-2008 year-long Engineering Design Challenge. It was developed under a Space Act Agreement with ORBITEC, Planet LLC’s parent company, and Johnson Space Center.
JSC-1A Lunar Regolith Simulant and JSC-Mars-1A Martian Regolith Simulant help simulate the “soil” of the moon and Mars. NASA’s return to the moon, Mars, and beyond creates an immediate need for materials science and technology research to enable safe human travel and work on future lunar exploration and long-duration missions. Part of the research will require the use of lunar regolith and Martian soil simulants for materials experiments, prototype testing, and dust mitigation of transportation equipment, advanced life support systems, and in-situ resource processing. Development for the stimulants was funded by the NASA SBIR program and the products were delivered to NASA for use in research and training.
Planet LLC offers these products commercially to the education industry and is providing products to the Space Foundation for use in its educational programs.
Eagle Shield Offers Range of Energy Saving Space Technologies
Long time partner Eagle Shield Incorporated is expanding, adding Solar Photovoltaic Power Generating Systems as a new Certified Space Technology. Solar Photovoltaic Power Generating Systems are solar powered ventilating fans for cooling attic and roof areas.
Upcoming Certified Space Technologies from Eagle Shield are Hydrogen Fuel Cell Power Generating Systems for residential and commercial electricity production and High Performance Spectrally Selective Solar Control Low-E Glass for window and door applications. Low-E glass includes a variety of space-based technologies such as transparent radiant barrier spectrally selective low-e coatings; microscopic, vacuum applied metallic coatings that allow solar heat gain in winter months while reducing solar heat gain in summer months and reduce ultra-violet ray damage to interior materials; as well as titanium dioxide hydrophilic coatings to reduce fogging and water spotting.
Eagle Shield Incorporated specializes in its line of energy efficient products for residential and commercial markets. A previous Eagle Shield Certified Space Technology is Radiant Barrier Reflective Insulation.
For more information visit, www.eagleshield.com
This article is part of Space Watch: September 2008 (Volume: 7, Issue: 9).