MATERIALS INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION EXPERIMENT – 5 (MISSE-5)
Research Area: Spacecraft Materials
Expedition(s): 11- 13
Principal Investigator(s): ● William H. Kinard, PhD, Langley Research Center, Hampton,
Virginia
● Robert J. Walters, PhD, Naval Research Laboratory,
Washington, DC
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The Materials on the International Space Station Experiment - 5 (MISSE-5) is a suitcase-sized
experiment attached to the outside of the International Space Station (ISS). It exposes hundreds
of potential space construction materials to the environment. The samples are returned to
Earth for study after a set exposure period. Researchers can use the knowledge gained from the
results to design stronger, more durable materials for a variety of applications.
EARTH BENEFITS
The new advanced materials and
components tested in MISSE can help
improve the performance, increase
the useful life, and reduce the costs
of future space operations of
commercial weather,
communication, and Earth
observation satellites that we all now
depend on.SPACE BENEFITS
More reliable and robust materials
help construction of spacecraft,
instrument, and satellites that will
last longer in the harsh conditions of
space.RESULTS
The following information is a sampling of the results obtained from MISSE-5 thus far.
MISSE-5 contained active and passive investigations: The Forward Technology Solar Cell
Experiment (FTSCE), an active experiment that tested the performance of 36 current and
advanced generation solar cells for use on future spacecraft; the active Second Prototype
Communication Satellite System (PCSat-2) that provided a communication system and tested
the Amateur Satellite Service off-the-shelf solution for telemetry command and control; and
the passive MISSE-5 Thermal Blanket Materials Experiment, which consisted of several
Views of MISSE-5 mounted on the International Space Station
P6 truss. PcSat-2 is protected by a golden thermal blanket with
flexible material samples attached. NASA image.