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
- Biolab Batch 3 – Three Biological Experiment Units for the Biolab facility.
(Customer: ESA, prime contractor: OHB)
https://www.ohb.de/en/news/ohb-awarded-esa-contract-for-the-development-of-3-biological-experiment-units-for-the-biolab-facility-on-board-the-iss/- LUX in Space - Investigation of the effect of cosmic radiation on bacteria in space.
- Suture in Space - Wound closure or healing of human skin and blood vessel under microgravity.
- 3D Bronchial Mucosa - influence of gravity on lung cell structures.
- WAICO -Examine root growth and the incidence of waving and coiling in Arabidopsis thaliana in different phases of weightlessness.
(Customer: ESA, prime contractor: Airbus DS)
https://www.ohb-system.de/waico-english.html
Exobiology
- Exposure platforms for long-duration solar exposure for investigating the effects of solar and cosmic radiation on biological and non-biological samples.
- Exobiology Platform Observatory (EXPO) - A modular in-situ optical measurements and spectroscopy platform for exobiology research.
(Customer: ESA, prime contractor: Kayser Italia)
https://www.ohb.de/en/news/2019/iss-to-ohb-technology-demonstrator-spectrodemo-transmits-first-data-set-to-earth/
- Spectrodemo – Technology demonstrator for spectrometer and fibre switch.
- OREOcube - Effects of solar and cosmic radiation on organic thin films supported on inorganic substrates.
- EXOcube-Chem – Astrochemistry effects on samples exposed to solar and cosmic radiation.
- Exobiology Platform Observatory (EXPO) - A modular in-situ optical measurements and spectroscopy platform for exobiology research.
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)