NASA's first Sample Cartridge Assembly (SCA) project designed and validated a payload containing a materials research sample in a sealed environment. The SCA was heated in the European Space Agency's (ESA) Low Gradient Furnace (LGF) that is housed inside the Material Science Research Rack (MSRR) located on the International Space Station (ISS). Sintered metals and crystal growth experiments in microgravity are examples of some of the types of materials research that may be performed with a SCA.

ISS026-E-014925 (4 Jan. 2011) --- NASA astronaut Catherine (Cady) Coleman, Expedition 26 flight engineer, removes the Low Gradient Furnace (LGF) and installs the Solidification and Quench Furnace (SQF) in the Material Science Laboratory (MSL) in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station.

ISS026-E-014915 (4 Jan. 2011) --- NASA astronaut Catherine (Cady) Coleman, Expedition 26 flight engineer, removes the Low Gradient Furnace (LGF) and installs the Solidification and Quench Furnace (SQF) in the Material Science Laboratory (MSL) in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station.

ISS026-E-014918 (4 Jan. 2011) --- NASA astronaut Catherine (Cady) Coleman, Expedition 26 flight engineer, removes the Low Gradient Furnace (LGF) and installs the Solidification and Quench Furnace (SQF) in the Material Science Laboratory (MSL) in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station.