MATERIALS INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION EXPERIMENT - 6A AND 6B
(MISSE-6A AND 6B)
Research Area: Spacecraft Materials
Expedition(s): 16- 20
Principal Investigator(s): ● William H. Kinard, PhD, Langley Research Center, Hampton,
Virginia
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
Materials International Space Station Experiment - 6A and 6B (MISSE-6A and 6B) is a sample
box attached to the outside of the International Space Station (ISS); it is used for testing the
effects of exposure to the space environment on small samples of new materials. These
samples will be evaluated for their reaction to atomic oxygen erosion, direct sunlight, radiation,
and extremes of heat and cold. Results provide a better understanding of the durability of
various materials, with important applications in the design of future spacecraft.
EARTH BENEFITS
These results provide an improved
understanding of the durability of various
silk and collagen materials in Earth orbit,
with implications for the design of future
materials for medical procedures and also
physiology applications.
SPACE BENEFITS
Results provide a better understanding of
the durability of various materials when
they are exposed to the space environment.
Many of the materials may have
applications for various needs during space
travel. For example, protein-inorganic
composites could be an important path
forward in designing durable protein materials
for space needs, as would protein materials pre-cross-linked on Earth to reduce the radiation
impact.
RESULTS
The following information is a sampling of the results obtained from MISSE-6A and 6B thus far.
Collagen and silk were flown to the ISS in the Materials International Space Station Experiment-
6A and 6B (MISSE-6A and 6B) and exposed to space for nearly 18 months. All protein materials
were changed but to different degrees depending on the material. Around 10-15% surface
depth of silk and collagen films was etched away by heavy ionizing particles such as atomic
oxygen, the major component of the low-Earth orbit space environment. Similar surface
Close-up view of Materials International Space Station
Experiment-6A and 6B Passive Experiment Container on
European Laboratory/Columbus. NASA image.