Materials International Space Station Experiment
The Materials International Space Station Experiment ( MISSE ) is a passive facility at the International Space Station (ISS ).
The experiment involves many small samples, which are stored in a container. This tank experiments, briefly called PEC ( Passive Experiment Container ) is contacted with a space shuttle into space, attached to the exterior of the ISS and then opened. The samples for an extended period of direct exposure to the space ( the researchers started with 18 months out ).
MISSE examines the behavior of materials on the extreme environment of space. Coatings and materials to be used in space need, the temperatures of the ( solar) radiation, the atomic oxygen and the absence of gravity and atmosphere can withstand. Carried out on Earth simulations can include a few of these factors.
The results of the MISSE - test series provide basic knowledge that enables the development of better and more resistant materials. These are required, among other things for future manned missions to Mars. These must be determined how the materials interact with the space and whether they change.
The first two sample container brought astronauts with the STS -105 mission in August 2001 to the ISS. While an outboard activity (EVA) MISSE 1 and 2 were attached to the outer side of the airlock Quest. Originally should stay only a year in space, these materials a total of 1,500, but the loss of the space shuttle Columbia and its crew of STS -107 in early 2003 led to a shift in the return of the sample container. MISSE 1 and 2 could be returned only after four years with the STS -114 mission, after Steven Robinson had removed the container in July 2005 during an exit.
To continue the experiment, brought STS -114 astronaut Soichi Noguchi to a new container at the station, which was suspended for a year to outer space. This known as MISSE 5 container was broken in September 2006 by the two astronauts Heide Stefanyshyn - Piper and Joseph Tanner during an EVA and taken by the STS -115 mission back to earth.
Beginning of August 2006 installed two astronauts of the ISS Expedition 13 containers MISSE 3 and 4 on the outside of the space station. The two PECs were previously arrived four weeks together with the German Thomas Reiter on board STS -121 to the ISS. Rider and his U.S. colleague Jeffrey Williams secured during an EVA, the two experiments support the quest module: MISSE 3 at one of the four tanks and MISSE 4 at the end of the airlock. 40 experimenters of space agencies, military institutions and companies prepared 875 samples of materials, electronic components, sensors, paints and protective coatings, which should make their space qualification test. Exactly one year later, on August 18, 2007 Dave Williams screwed by STS -118 and ISS Expedition 15 Flight Engineer Clay Anderson, the two experiment carrier again. MISSE 3 and 4 returned on 21 August 2007 with the Endeavour back to Earth.
During STS -123 was docked to the space station, Mission Specialist Robert Behnken brought in March 2008, two new sample container to the ISS. MISSE 6 was installed on the outside of the European Columbus laboratory. In September 2009, was mined during an EVA of the mission STS -128 MISSE 6 of Danny Olivas and Nicole Stott back and stowed for return to the Discovery.
The MISSE 7 package was installed in November 2009 to the newly installed ELC -2 in the third EVA during STS -129 by Randy Bresnik and Robert Satcher.
The MISSE program is managed by the Langley Research Center.