ISS Experiments

OHB System is involved in the development of experiment systems for the International Space Station in nearly all domains of life and physical sciences. In all of these areas OHB typically works in close cooperation with the agencies, scientists and key technology providers, covering a wide range of project activities and sizes from small equipment which is brought into orbit in within less than one year - like the Myotones Experiment Hardware, to large research facilities like the Plasma Kristall-4 (PK-4).

Physical Sciences
  • Plasma Crystal Experiments, PKE-Nefedov, PK-3 Plus and PK-4 - Investigating complex plasmas (low-temperature plasmas containing micro particles) under microgravity conditions.
    (Customer: DLR or ESA, prime contractor: OHB)
    https://www.ohb-system.de/pressemitteilungen-details/iss-forschungsanlage-pk-4-erfolgreich-gestartet.html
  • VIPGRAN - Study of dynamical and statistical behaviours of granular matter in low-gravity environment.
    (Customer: ESA, prime contractor: DTM)
  • BECCAL - Bose-Einstein Condensate Cold Atom Laboratory research under µg conditions.
    (Customer: DLR, prime contractor: ZARM)
Life Sciences
Exobiology
  • Exposure platforms for long-duration solar exposure for investigating the effects of solar and cosmic radiation on biological and non-biological samples.
Human Physiology Research
  • Myoton – Experiment to monitor muscle tone, stiffness and elasticity to assess neuromuscular status during a long-term stay in weightlessness.
    (Customer: ESA, prime contractor: OHB)
    https://www.ohb.de/en/magazine/muscle-work-in-space-training-plan-a-la-ohb-for-alexander-gerst/
  • Thermolab - Measurement of core body temperature with a temperature sensor to investigate the extent to which the internal clock and the heat balance of humans change during long stays in space.
    (Customer: DLR, prime contractor: OHB)
  • Skin-B – Investigation of skin physiological changes and properties under accelerated aging conditions in space.
    (Customer: DLR, prime contractor: OHB)
  • Eye Tracking Device – Experimental system for the tracking of eye movements for the investigation of adaptation reactions of the equilibrium system as well as phenomena of spatial orientation in human physiological space research.
    (Customer: DLR, prime contractor: OHB)