[SatNews] This is the newest platform to better understand life on Earth now lies 220 miles above its surface.
The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), the nonprofit organization promoting and managing research on board the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory, today announced a Request for Information (RFI) to gauge commercial interest in using the Hyperspectral Imager for the Coastal Ocean (HICO).
The purpose of this RFI is to assess the potential of using HICO for a wide-variety of hyperspectral imaging needs. HICO was developed to demonstrate the value of high resolution, hyperspectral imaging for ocean waters, but it has also proved useful in modeling photosynthetic pigments as well as dissolved and particulate matter in coastal waters. It operates with a specialized visible and near-infrared camera to detect, identify and quantify coastal features from the station.
CASIS believes that interested industries in HICO could include the petroleum industry, the mining industry, climate change analysts and the agricultural industry. Based on the response generated by this RFI, CASIS could fund additional research.
“CASIS is excited to gain insight into the commercial market’s interest in utilizing an established instrument that has provided many breakthrough images in the field of Earth Observation,” said CASIS Interim Executive Director Jim Royston. “We look forward to promoting the use of HICO and the opportunities that it might provide researchers in the near future.”
This RFI will be open for 31 days, closing at 5pm EST on November 12, 2012.
For additional information about this RFI, including instructions on submitting a proposal, continue to check the CASIS solicitations site.
CASIS, the newest platform to better understand life on Earth now lies 220 miles above its surface. Research onboard the International Space Station U.S. National Laboratory offers an unparalleled opportunity to understand how gravity influences physical and life sciences—exploiting these effects to understand basic phenomena and advance commercial pursuits. CASIS is now facilitating access to this powerful platform—helping you transform your research into flight-ready experiments that can yield previously unattainable results.
In this new era of scientific discovery, CASIS is the gateway to advancing the space-based research and development that will define tomorrow’s world. CASIS is uniquely positioned to facilitate and expedite access to the National Lab, leveraging the experience and knowledge of the CASIS team to ensure that researchers, principal investigators, and private commercial entities alike are afforded the most efficient pathway to flight.
The CASIS management team will support and assist researchers and principal investigators in transitioning their science and research experiments into manifested payloads that will be launched and delivered directly to the National Lab.