In the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, student interns are joining agency scientists, contributing in the area of plant growth research for food production in space. The agency attracts its future workforce through the NASA Internship, Fellowships and Scholarships, or NIFS, Program.

In the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, student interns are joining agency scientists, contributing in the area of plant growth research for food production in space. The agency attracts its future workforce through the NASA Internship, Fellowships and Scholarships, or NIFS, Program.

In the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, student interns are joining agency scientists, contributing in the area of plant growth research for food production in space. The agency attracts its future workforce through the NASA Internship, Fellowships and Scholarships, or NIFS, Program.

In the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, student interns such as Ayla Grandpre are joining agency scientists, contributing in the area of plant growth research for food production in space. Grandpre is majoring in computer science and chemistry at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana. The agency attracts its future workforce through the NASA Internship, Fellowships and Scholarships, or NIFS, Program.

In the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, student interns such as Ayla Grandpre, left, and Payton Barnwell are joining agency scientists, contributing in the area of plant growth research for food production in space. Grandpre is pursuing a degree in computer science and chemistry at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana. Barnwell is a mechanical engineering and nanotechnology major at Florida Polytechnic University. The agency attracts its future workforce through the NASA Internship, Fellowships and Scholarships, or NIFS, Program.

In the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, student interns such as Payton Barnwell are joining agency scientists, contributing in the area of plant growth research for food production in space. Barnwell is a mechanical engineering and nanotechnology major at Florida Polytechnic University. The agency attracts its future workforce through the NASA Internship, Fellowships and Scholarships, or NIFS, Program.

In the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, student interns such as Alex Litvin are joining agency scientists, contributing in the area of plant growth research for food production in space. Litvin is pursuing doctorate in horticulture at Iowa State University. The agency attracts its future workforce through the NASA Internship, Fellowships and Scholarships, or NIFS, Program.

In the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, student interns such as Emma Boehm, left, and Jessica Scotten are joining agency scientists, contributing in the area of plant growth research for food production in space. Boehm is pursuing a degree in ecology and evolution at the University of Minnesota. Scotten is majoring in microbiology at Oregon State University. The agency attracts its future workforce through the NASA Internship, Fellowships and Scholarships, or NIFS, Program.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, center, talks with members of the local media in a conference room inside the Space Life Sciences Laboratory during his tour of Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Aug. 7, 2018. Seated at right is Kennedy Center Director Bob Cabana. The administrator toured Kennedy facilities and received updates on various center accomplishments.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, seated, far end of the table, center, talks with members of the local media in a conference room inside the Space Life Sciences Laboratory during his tour of Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Aug. 7, 2018. Seated next to him is Kennedy Center Director Bob Cabana. The administrator toured Kennedy facilities and received updates on various center accomplishments.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, far right, talks with participants of an Economic Development Commission roundtable discussion hosted by Space Florida at the Space Life Sciences Laboratory on Aug. 7, 2018, near NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In view next to Bridenstine is Kennedy Center Director Bob Cabana, and Brigadier General Wayne Monteith, commander, 45th Space Wing, and director, Eastern Range, at Patrick Air Force Base in Florida. The administrator also toured Kennedy facilities and received updates on various center accomplishments.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, center, facing away from the camera, participates in an Economic Development Commission roundtable discussion hosted by Space Florida at the Space Life Sciences Laboratory on Aug. 7, 2018, near NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. At right is Kennedy Center Director Bob Cabana. The administrator also toured Kennedy facilities and received updates on various center accomplishments.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, second from right, participates in an Economic Development Commission roundtable discussion hosted by Space Florida at the Space Life Sciences Laboratory on Aug. 7, 2018, near NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. With him, from left, are Kennedy Center Director Bob Cabana; Brigadier General Wayne Monteith, commander, 45th Space Wing, and director, Eastern Range, Patrick Air Force Base in Florida; and U.S. Rep. Bill Posey. The administrator also toured Kennedy facilities and received updates on various center accomplishments.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, seated at the far table, center, participates in an Economic Development Commission roundtable discussion hosted by Space Florida at the Space Life Sciences Laboratory on Aug. 7, 2018, near NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Seated at left is Kennedy Center Director Bob Cabana. Seated at right is U.S. Rep. Bill Posey, and Brigadier General Wayne Monteith, commander, 45th Space Wing, and director, Eastern Range, Patrick Air Force Base in Florida. The administrator also toured Kennedy facilities and received updates on various center accomplishments.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, seated at far right, talks with members of the local media in a conference room inside the Space Life Sciences Laboratory during his tour of Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Aug. 7, 2018. Seated at his left is Kennedy Center Director Bob Cabana. The administrator toured Kennedy facilities and received updates on various center accomplishments.

The Space Life Sciences Lab (SLSL), formerly known as the Space Experiment Research and Processing Laboratory (SERPL), is a state-of-the-art facility built for ISS biotechnology research. Developed as a partnership between NASA-KSC and the State of Florida, NASA’s life sciences contractor is the primary tenant of the facility, leasing space to conduct flight experiment processing and NASA-sponsored research. About 20 percent of the facility will be available for use by Florida’s university researchers through the Florida Space Research Institute.

S93-26894 (March 1993) --- Spacelab Life Sciences 2, scheduled to fly as the major payload on the STS-58 mission, is represented with this logo. As in the case of SLS-1, which flew in space in June of 1991, this Spacelab mission will be devoted to life sciences and will carry a crew of experts in the associated disciplines.

This image of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis, with cargo bay doors open showing Spacelab Module for the Spacelab Life Science and the docking port, was photographed from the Russian Mir Space Station during STS-71 mission. The STS-71 mission performed the first docking with the Russian Mir Space Station to exchange crews. The Mir 19 crew, cosmonauts Anatoly Solovyev and Nikolai Budarin, replaced the Mir 18 crew, cosmonauts Valdamir Dezhurov and Gernady Strekalov, and astronaut Norman Thagard. Astronaut Thagard was launched aboard a Soyuz spacecraft in March 1995 for a three-month stay on the Mir Space Station as part of the Mir 18 crew. The Orbiter Atlantis was modified to carry a docking system compatible with the Mir Space Station. The Orbiter also carried a Spacelab module for the Spacelab Life Science mission in the payload bay in which various life science experiments and data collection took place throughout the 10-day mission.

This diagram shows the planned locations of the Space Experiment Research and Processing Laboratory (SERPL) and the Space Station Commerce Park at Kennedy Space Center. The SERPL is a planned 100,000-square-foot laboratory that will provide expanded and upgraded facilities for hosting International Space Station experiment processing. In addition, it will provide better support for other biological and life sciences payload processing at KSC. It will serve as a magnet facility for the planned 400-acre Commerce Park.

The laboratory module in the cargo bay of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia was photographed during the Spacelab Life Science-1 (SLS-1) mission. SLS-1 was the first Spacelab mission dedicated solely to life sciences. The main purpose of the SLS-1 mission was to study the mechanisms, magnitudes, and time courses of certain physiological changes that occur during space flight, to investigate the consequences of the body's adaptation to microgravity and readjustment to Earth's gravity, and to bring the benefits back home to Earth. The mission was designed to explore the responses of the heart, lungs, blood vessels, kidneys, and hormone-secreting glands to microgravity and related body fluid shifts; examine the causes of space motion sickness; and study changes in the muscles, bones and cells. The five body systems being studied were: The Cardiovascular/Cardiopulmonary System (heart, lungs, and blood vessels), the Renal/Endocrine System (kidney and hormone-secreting organs), the Immune System (white blood cells), the Musculoskeletal System (muscles and bones), and the Neurovestibular System (brain and nerves, eyes, and irner ear). The SLS-1 was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia (STS-40) on June 5, 1995.

CAPE CANAVERAl, Fla. - Karen L. Thompson, chief technologist for Kennedy Space Center, speaks during a visit by Dr. Mason Peck, NASA's chief Technologist, to to Kennedy Space Center's Space Life Sciences Laboratory. Peck toured the lab facility during a visit to the space center. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – David Reed, left, explains an innovation developed at NASA's Kennedy Space Center to Mason Peck, center, NASA's chief Technologist, during Pecks' tour of the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at Kennedy. Peck toured the lab facility during a visit to the space center. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

CAPE CANAVERAl, Fla. - Martin Belson, president and CEO of Diversified Industries CEIS, speaks during a visit by Dr. Mason Peck, NASA's chief Technologist, to Kennedy Space Center's Space Life Sciences Laboratory. Peck toured the lab facility during a visit to the space center. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

CAPE CANAVERAl, Fla. - James Stanley, chief technologist for Qinetiq North America, speaks during a visit by Dr. Mason Peck, NASA's chief Technologist, to Kennedy Space Center's Space Life Sciences Laboratory. Peck toured the lab facility during a visit to the space center. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

CAPE CANAVERAl, Fla. - Dr. Mason Peck, NASA's chief Technologist, speaks during a visit to the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at Kennedy Space Center. Peck toured the lab facility during a visit to the space center. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

CAPE CANAVERAl, Fla. - Dr. Ray Wheeler, left, explains a plant experiment to Dr. Mason Peck, NASA's chief Technologist, during a tour of the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at Kennedy. Peck toured the lab facility during a visit to the space center. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

CAPE CANAVERAl, Fla. - Robert Mueller, left, explains differences in lunar, Martian and Earth soil using simulants to Dr. Mason Peck, NASA's chief Technologist, during a tour of the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at Kennedy. Peck toured the lab facility during a visit to the space center. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

CAPE CANAVERAl, Fla. - Robert Mueller, left, explains differences in lunar, Martian and Earth soil using simulants to Dr. Mason Peck, NASA's chief Technologist, during a tour of the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at Kennedy. Peck toured the lab facility during a visit to the space center. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

CAPE CANAVERAl, Fla. - Dr. Mason Peck, NASA's chief Technologist, saw some plant experiments during a tour of the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at Kennedy. Peck toured the lab facility during a visit to the space center. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

CAPE CANAVERAl, Fla. - Dr. Ray Wheeler, left, explains plant growth experimentation facilities to Dr. Mason Peck, NASA's chief Technologist, during a tour of the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at Kennedy. Peck toured the lab facility during a visit to the space center. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

CAPE CANAVERAl, Fla. - Dr. Mason Peck, center, NASA's chief Technologist, listens as Michael Hogue, right, explains an innovation during Pecks' tour of the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at Kennedy. Peck toured the lab facility during a visit to the space center. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

CAPE CANAVERAl, Fla. - Dr. Mason Peck, left, NASA's chief Technologist, examines an innovative conductive material during a tour of the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at Kennedy. Peck toured the lab facility during a visit to the space center. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Dr. Ray Wheeler explains a system for growing salad crops in space to students in the Life Support and Habitation Systems Lab at the Space Life Sciences Lab facility. The 26 honor students in chemistry and biology and their teachers got a chance to visit a number of high-tech labs at Kennedy Space Center as part of an effort to encourage students in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math. The tenth and eleventh grade students from Terry Parker High School in Jacksonville, Fla., visited a number of vastly different labs during their one-day tour. The group's visit to Kennedy was hosted by the Education Office as part of a nationwide effort by the National Lab Network to help introduce the nation's students to science careers. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Dr. Ray Wheeler explains a system for growing salad crops in space to students in the Life Support and Habitation Systems Lab at the Space Life Sciences Lab facility. The 26 honor students in chemistry and biology and their teachers got a chance to visit a number of high-tech labs at Kennedy Space Center as part of an effort to encourage students in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math. The tenth and eleventh grade students from Terry Parker High School in Jacksonville, Fla., visited a number of vastly different labs during their one-day tour. The group's visit to Kennedy was hosted by the Education Office as part of a nationwide effort by the National Lab Network to help introduce the nation's students to science careers. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Dr. Ray Wheeler explains a plant growth chamber to students in the Life Support and Habitation Systems Lab at the Space Life Sciences Lab facility. The 26 honor students in chemistry and biology and their teachers got a chance to visit a number of high-tech labs at Kennedy Space Center as part of an effort to encourage students in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math. The tenth and eleventh grade students from Terry Parker High School in Jacksonville, Fla., visited a number of vastly different labs during their one-day tour. The group's visit to Kennedy was hosted by the Education Office as part of a nationwide effort by the National Lab Network to help introduce the nation's students to science careers. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

A researcher from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida prepares pepper seeds for planting inside science carriers on April 8, 2021, inside the Space Life Sciences Lab for the Plant Habitat-04 (PH-04) experiment. The seeds will fly to the International Space Station on SpaceX’s 22nd Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-22) mission. When the experiment starts, astronauts will grow the pepper seeds in the Advanced Plant Habitat (APH) growth chamber, which will monitor the experiment with more than 180 sensors. The astronauts will observe plant growth for about four months and conduct two harvests to study whether microgravity affects growth, flavor, or texture. Since peppers take longer to germinate, grow, and develop than previous crops grown in space, the PH-04 experiment also will test the durability and reliability of the various systems within the APH.

Inside the Space Life Sciences Lab at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, researchers plant pepper seeds in a science carrier on April 8, 2021, in preparation for the Plant Habitat-04 (PH-04) experiment. The seeds will fly to the International Space Station on SpaceX’s 22nd Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-22) mission. When the experiment starts, astronauts will grow the pepper seeds in the Advanced Plant Habitat (APH) growth chamber, which will monitor the experiment with more than 180 sensors. The astronauts will observe plant growth for about four months and conduct two harvests to study whether microgravity affects growth, flavor, or texture. Since peppers take longer to germinate, grow, and develop than previous crops grown in space, the PH-04 experiment also will test the durability and reliability of the various systems within the APH.

Inside the Space Life Sciences Lab at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a researcher plants pepper seeds in science carriers on April 8, 2021, in preparation for the Plant Habitat-04 (PH-04) experiment. The seeds will fly to the International Space Station on SpaceX’s 22nd Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-22) mission. When the experiment starts, astronauts will grow the pepper seeds in the Advanced Plant Habitat (APH) growth chamber, which will monitor the experiment with more than 180 sensors. The astronauts will observe plant growth for about four months and conduct two harvests to study whether microgravity affects growth, flavor, or texture. Since peppers take longer to germinate, grow, and develop than previous crops grown in space, the PH-04 experiment also will test the durability and reliability of the various systems within the APH.

A researcher from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida prepares pepper seeds for planting inside science carriers on April 8, 2021, inside the Space Life Sciences Lab for the Plant Habitat-04 (PH-04) experiment. The seeds will fly to the International Space Station on SpaceX’s 22nd Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-22) mission. When the experiment starts, astronauts will grow the pepper seeds in the Advanced Plant Habitat (APH) growth chamber, which will monitor the experiment with more than 180 sensors. The astronauts will observe plant growth for about four months and conduct two harvests to study whether microgravity affects growth, flavor, or texture. Since peppers take longer to germinate, grow, and develop than previous crops grown in space, the PH-04 experiment also will test the durability and reliability of the various systems within the APH.

A researcher from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida prepares pepper seeds for planting inside science carriers on April 8, 2021, inside the Space Life Sciences Lab for the Plant Habitat-04 (PH-04) experiment. The seeds will fly to the International Space Station on SpaceX’s 22nd Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-22) mission. When the experiment starts, astronauts will grow the pepper seeds in the Advanced Plant Habitat (APH) growth chamber, which will monitor the experiment with more than 180 sensors. The astronauts will observe plant growth for about four months and conduct two harvests to study whether microgravity affects growth, flavor, or texture. Since peppers take longer to germinate, grow, and develop than previous crops grown in space, the PH-04 experiment also will test the durability and reliability of the various systems within the APH.

A close-up photo of a pepper seed prepared by researchers at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida is shown before it’s planted inside a science carrier on April 8, 2021, inside the Space Life Sciences Lab for the Plant Habitat-04 (PH-04) experiment. The seeds will fly to the International Space Station on SpaceX’s 22nd Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-22) mission. When the experiment starts, astronauts will grow the pepper seeds in the Advanced Plant Habitat (APH) growth chamber, which will monitor the experiment with more than 180 sensors. The astronauts will observe plant growth for about four months and conduct two harvests to study whether microgravity affects growth, flavor, or texture. Since peppers take longer to germinate, grow, and develop than previous crops grown in space, the PH-04 experiment also will test the durability and reliability of the various systems within the APH.

Inside the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Dr. Eric Koch, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Florida, demonstrates preparations for bobtail squid on May 20, 2021, for a trip to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX’s 22nd Commercial Resupply Services mission. The experiment will examine the effects of spaceflight on the molecular and chemical interactions between beneficial microbes and their animal hosts. Amimals, including humans, rely on microbes to maintain a healthy digestive and immune system. UMAMI is one of several experiments bound for the space station in the Dragon capsule atop the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The mission is scheduled to lift off from Launch Complex 39A on June 3.

Inside the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, bobtail squid are part of preparations on May 20, 2021, for the Understanding of Microgravity on Animal-Microbe Interactions (UMAMI) experiment that will launch to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX’s 22nd Commercial Resupply Services mission. The experiment will examine the effects of spaceflight on the molecular and chemical interactions between beneficial microbes and their animal hosts. Amimals, including humans, rely on microbes to maintain a healthy digestive and immune system. UMAMI is one of several experiments bound for the space station in the Dragon capsule atop the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The mission is scheduled to lift off from Launch Complex 39A on June 3.

Inside the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Dr. Eric Koch, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Florida, demonstrates preparations for bobtail squid on May 20, 2021, for a trip to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX’s 22nd Commercial Resupply Services mission. The experiment will examine the effects of spaceflight on the molecular and chemical interactions between beneficial microbes and their animal hosts. Amimals, including humans, rely on microbes to maintain a healthy digestive and immune system. UMAMI is one of several experiments bound for the space station in the Dragon capsule atop the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The mission is scheduled to lift off from Launch Complex 39A on June 3.

Inside the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, bobtail squid are part of preparations on May 20, 2021, for the Understanding of Microgravity on Animal-Microbe Interactions (UMAMI) experiment that will launch to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX’s 22nd Commercial Resupply Services mission. The experiment will examine the effects of spaceflight on the molecular and chemical interactions between beneficial microbes and their animal hosts. Animals, including humans, rely on microbes to maintain a healthy digestive and immune system. UMAMI is one of several experiments bound for the space station in the Dragon capsule atop the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The mission is scheduled to lift off from Launch Complex 39A on June 3.

Inside the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, bobtail squid are part of preparations on May 20, 2021, for the Understanding of Microgravity on Animal-Microbe Interactions (UMAMI) experiment that will launch to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX’s 22nd Commercial Resupply Services mission. The experiment will examine the effects of spaceflight on the molecular and chemical interactions between beneficial microbes and their animal hosts. Amimals, including humans, rely on microbes to maintain a healthy digestive and immune system. UMAMI is one of several experiments bound for the space station in the Dragon capsule atop the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The mission is scheduled to lift off from Launch Complex 39A on June 3.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Dr. Mason Peck, right, NASA's chief Technologist, greets Frank DiBello, president and CEO of Space Florida as Karen L. Thompson, chief technologist for Kennedy Space Center, looks on. Space Florida manages the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at Kennedy. Peck toured the lab facility during a visit to the space center. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

CAPE CANAVERAl, Fla. - Dr. Mason Peck, right, NASA's chief Technologist, talks with Martin Belson, president and CEO of Diversified Industries CEIS, as Karen L. Thompson, chief technologist for Kennedy Space Center, looks on. Peck toured Kennedy Space Center's Space Life Sciences Laboratory during a visit to the space center. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside the Space Life Sciences Laboratory, or SLSL, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Dr. Matthew Mickens, a plant biologist from North Carolina Agriculture and Technical State University in North Carolina, measures radish plants that were just harvested from a plant growth chamber. The plants were grown under red and blue LED lights. The plant experiment at Kennedy is part of the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, program in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. This plant experiment studies the effects of different types of lighting on plants such as radishes and leaf lettuce. Results of these studies will help provide information on how to grow food sources for deep space exploration missions. AES projects pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. Photo credit: NASA/Frank Ochoa-Gonzales

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside the Space Life Sciences Laboratory, or SLSL, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, radish plants were harvested from a plant growth chamber. The plants were grown under red and blue LED lights. The plant experiment at Kennedy is part of the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, program in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. This plant experiment studies the effects of different types of lighting on plants such as radishes and leaf lettuce. Results of these studies will help provide information on how to grow food sources for deep space exploration missions. AES projects pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. Photo credit: NASA/Frank Ochoa-Gonzales

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside the Space Life Sciences Laboratory, or SLSL, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, red leaf lettuce plants were harvested from a plant growth chamber. The plants were grown under red and blue LED lights. The plant experiment at Kennedy is part of the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, program in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. This plant experiment studies the effects of different types of lighting on plants such as radishes and leaf lettuce. Results of these studies will help provide information on how to grow food sources for deep space exploration missions. AES projects pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. Photo credit: NASA/Frank Ochoa-Gonzales

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside the Space Life Sciences Laboratory, or SLSL, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Dr. Matthew Mickens, a plant biologist from North Carolina Agriculture and Technical State University in North Carolina, measures radish plants that were just harvested from a plant growth chamber. The plants were grown under red and blue LED lights. The plant experiment at Kennedy is part of the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, program in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. This plant experiment studies the effects of different types of lighting on plants such as radishes and leaf lettuce. Results of these studies will help provide information on how to grow food sources for deep space exploration missions. AES projects pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. Photo credit: NASA/Frank Ochoa-Gonzales

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside the Space Life Sciences Laboratory, or SLSL, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, radish plants are being harvested in a plant growth chamber. The plants were grown under red and blue LED lights. The plant experiment at Kennedy is part of the Advanced Exploration Systems, or AES, program in NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. This plant experiment studies the effects of different types of lighting on plants such as radishes and leaf lettuce. Results of these studies will help provide information on how to grow food sources for deep space exploration missions. AES projects pioneer new approaches for rapidly developing prototype systems, demonstrating key capabilities and validating operational concepts for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. Photo credit: NASA/Frank Ochoa-Gonzales

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Dr. Mason Peck, center, NASA's chief Technologist, listens as David Reed, right, explains an innovation during Pecks' tour of the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at Kennedy. Karen L. Thompson, chief technologist for Kennedy Space Center, looks on. Peck toured the lab facility during a visit to the space center. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

Inside the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Jamie Foster, principal investigator on the Understanding of Microgravity on Animal-Microbe Interactions (UMAMI) experiment, demonstrates preparations for bobtail squid on May 20, 2021, for a trip to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX’s 22nd Commercial Resupply Services mission. The experiment will examine the effects of spaceflight on the molecular and chemical interactions between beneficial microbes and their animal hosts. Amimals, including humans, rely on microbes to maintain a healthy digestive and immune system. UMAMI is one of several experiments bound for the space station in the Dragon capsule atop the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The mission is scheduled to lift off from Launch Complex 39A on June 3.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Dr. LaNetra C. Tate, center, materials engineer at Kennedy Space Center, is surrounded by students as she welcomes them for their tour of the Space Life Sciences Lab facilities. The 26 honor students in chemistry and biology and their teachers got a chance to visit a number of high-tech labs at Kennedy as part of an effort to encourage students in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math. The tenth and eleventh grade students from Terry Parker High School in Jacksonville, Fla., visited a number of vastly different labs during their one-day tour. The group's visit to Kennedy was hosted by the Education Office as part of a nationwide effort by the National Lab Network to help introduce the nation's students to science careers. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Dr. Phil Metzger demonstrates an experiment to study the physics of granular materials to students in the Granular Physics and Regolith Operations Lab at the Space Life Sciences Lab facility. The 26 honor students in chemistry and biology and their teachers got a chance to visit a number of high-tech labs at Kennedy Space Center as part of an effort to encourage students in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math. The tenth and eleventh grade students from Terry Parker High School in Jacksonville, Fla., visited a number of vastly different labs during their one-day tour. The group's visit to Kennedy was hosted by the Education Office as part of a nationwide effort by the National Lab Network to help introduce the nation's students to science careers. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

Kennedy Space Center Associate Director, Technical, Jennifer Kunz speaks at an event Sept. 27, 2021, announcing that Terran Orbital will locate its Commercial Spacecraft and Constellation Facility on NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The new manufacturing facility will be built near the center’s Launch and Landing Facility, which is being managed and developed by Space Florida under a long-term agreement with NASA. Terran Orbital develops end-to-end satellite solutions as well as commercial spacecraft. The 660,000 square foot manufacturing facility will consist of ten automated and augmented hangers capable of producing thousands of different types of space vehicles and electro-mechanical devices per year. The project is expected to create about 2,100 new jobs, with a planned completion date in 2025. The announcement ceremony was held at Space Florida’s Space Life Sciences Lab in Exploration Park, Florida. Seated directly behind Kunz is Space Florida President and CEO Frank DiBello (left) and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (second from left).

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Col. (Ret.) Herbert E. Carter, one of the Tuskegee Airmen, speaks to guests at a dinner sponsored by the KSC Spaceflight and Life Sciences Office.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Col. (Ret.) Herbert E. Carter, one of the Tuskegee Airmen, speaks to guests at a dinner sponsored by the KSC Spaceflight and Life Sciences Office.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Dynamac employees (from left) Larry Burns, Debbie Wells and Neil Yorio carry boxes of hardware into the Space Life Sciences Lab (SLSL), formerly known as the Space Experiment Research and Processing Laboratory (SERPL). They are transferring equipment from Hangar L. The new lab is a state-of-the-art facility being built for ISS biotechnology research. Developed as a partnership between NASA-KSC and the State of Florida, NASA’s life sciences contractor will be the primary tenant of the facility, leasing space to conduct flight experiment processing and NASA-sponsored research. About 20 percent of the facility will be available for use by Florida’s university researchers through the Florida Space Research Institute.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Space Life Sciences Lab (SLSL), formerly known as the Space Experiment Research and Processing Laboratory (SERPL), is nearing completion. The new lab is a state-of-the-art facility being built for ISS biotechnology research. Developed as a partnership between NASA-KSC and the State of Florida, NASA’s life sciences contractor will be the primary tenant of the facility, leasing space to conduct flight experiment processing and NASA-sponsored research. About 20 percent of the facility will be available for use by Florida’s university researchers through the Florida Space Research Institute.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Ivan Rodriguez, with Bionetics, and Michelle Crouch and Larry Burns, with Dynamac, carry boxes of equipment into the Space Life Sciences Lab (SLSL), formerly known as the Space Experiment Research and Processing Laboratory (SERPL). They are transferring equipment from Hangar L. The new lab is a state-of-the-art facility being built for ISS biotechnology research. Developed as a partnership between NASA-KSC and the State of Florida, NASA’s life sciences contractor will be the primary tenant of the facility, leasing space to conduct flight experiment processing and NASA-sponsored research. About 20 percent of the facility will be available for use by Florida’s university researchers through the Florida Space Research Institute.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Officials of the NASA-Kennedy Space Center and the state of Florida pose for a group portrait at a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Space Life Sciences Lab at the new lab. From left are Capt. Winston Scott, executive director of the Florida Space Authority; Dr. Robert J. Ferl, director of Space Agriculture Biotechnology Research and Education (SABRE), University of Florida; Charlie Quincy, chief of the Biological Sciences Office, Kennedy Space Center; Jose Perez-Morales, NASA Project Manager for the Space Life Sciences Lab; Jim Kennedy, director of the Kennedy Space Center; The Honorable Toni Jennings, lieutenant governor of the state of Florida; Frank T. Brogan, president of the Florida Atlantic University; and Dr. Samuel Durrance, executive director of the Florida Space Research Institute. Completed in August, the facility encompasses more than 100,000 square feet and was formerly known as the Space Experiment Research and Processing Laboratory or SERPL. The state, through the Florida Space Authority, built the research lab which is host to NASA, NASA’s Life Sciences Services contractor Dynamac Corp., Bionetics Corp., and researchers from the University of Florida. Dynamac Corp. leases the facility. The Florida Space Research Institute is responsible for gaining additional tenants from outside the NASA community.

Space Shuttle Columbia nears its touchdown on Runway 22 at Edwards, California, at 8:39 a.m., 14 June 1991, as the STS-40 life sciences mission comes to an end at NASA's Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility (later redesignated Dryden Flight Research Center) after nine days of orbital flight. Aboard Columbia during the extended mission were Bryan D. O'Connor, mission commander; Sidney M. Gutierrez, pilot; mission specialists James P. Bagian, Tamara E. Jernigan, and Margaret Rhea Seddon; and payload specialists Francis Andrew Gaffney and Millie Hughes-Fulford. STS-40 was the first space shuttle mission dedicated to life sciences research to explore how the body reacts to a weightless environment and how it readjusts to gravity on return to earth. Columbia was launched on the STS-40 mission 5 June 1991, from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Sharon Edney, with Dynamac Corp., checks the growth of radishes being grown hydroponically for study in the Space Life Sciences Lab. The 100,000 square-foot facility houses labs for NASA’s ongoing research efforts, microbiology/microbial ecology studies and analytical chemistry labs. Also calling the new lab home are facilities for space flight-experiment and flight-hardware development, new plant growth chambers, and an Orbiter Environment Simulator that will be used to conduct ground control experiments in simulated flight conditions for space flight experiments. The SLS Lab, formerly known as the Space Experiment Research and Processing Laboratory or SERPL, provides space for NASA’s Life Sciences Services contractor Dynamac Corporation, Bionetics Corporation, and researchers from the University of Florida. NASA’s Office of Biological and Physical Research will use the facility for processing life sciences experiments that will be conducted on the International Space Station. The SLS Lab is the magnet facility for the International Space Research Park at KSC being developed in partnership with Florida Space Authority.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Sharon Edney, with Dynamac Corp., checks the roots of green onions being grown hydroponically for study in the Space Life Sciences Lab. The 100,000 square-foot facility houses labs for NASA’s ongoing research efforts, microbiology/microbial ecology studies and analytical chemistry labs. Also calling the new lab home are facilities for space flight-experiment and flight-hardware development, new plant growth chambers, and an Orbiter Environment Simulator that will be used to conduct ground control experiments in simulated flight conditions for space flight experiments. The SLS Lab, formerly known as the Space Experiment Research and Processing Laboratory or SERPL, provides space for NASA’s Life Sciences Services contractor Dynamac Corporation, Bionetics Corporation, and researchers from the University of Florida. NASA’s Office of Biological and Physical Research will use the facility for processing life sciences experiments that will be conducted on the International Space Station. The SLS Lab is the magnet facility for the International Space Research Park at KSC being developed in partnership with Florida Space Authority.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Life Sciences Lab, Lanfang Levine, with Dynamac Corp., transfers material into a sample bottle for analysis. She is standing in front of new equipment in the lab that will provide gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. The equipment will enable analysis of volatile compounds, such as from plants. The 100,000 square-foot facility houses labs for NASA’s ongoing research efforts, microbiology/microbial ecology studies and analytical chemistry labs. Also calling the new lab home are facilities for space flight-experiment and flight-hardware development, new plant growth chambers, and an Orbiter Environment Simulator that will be used to conduct ground control experiments in simulated flight conditions for space flight experiments. The SLS Lab, formerly known as the Space Experiment Research and Processing Laboratory or SERPL, provides space for NASA’s Life Sciences Services contractor Dynamac Corporation, Bionetics Corporation, and researchers from the University of Florida. NASA’s Office of Biological and Physical Research will use the facility for processing life sciences experiments that will be conducted on the International Space Station. The SLS Lab is the magnet facility for the International Space Research Park at KSC being developed in partnership with Florida Space Authority.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Sharon Edney, with Dynamac Corp., measures photosynthesis on Bibb lettuce being grown hydroponically for study in the Space Life Sciences Lab. The 100,000 square-foot facility houses labs for NASA’s ongoing research efforts, microbiology/microbial ecology studies and analytical chemistry labs. Also calling the new lab home are facilities for space flight-experiment and flight-hardware development, new plant growth chambers, and an Orbiter Environment Simulator that will be used to conduct ground control experiments in simulated flight conditions for space flight experiments. The SLS Lab, formerly known as the Space Experiment Research and Processing Laboratory or SERPL, provides space for NASA’s Life Sciences Services contractor Dynamac Corporation, Bionetics Corporation, and researchers from the University of Florida. NASA’s Office of Biological and Physical Research will use the facility for processing life sciences experiments that will be conducted on the International Space Station. The SLS Lab is the magnet facility for the International Space Research Park at KSC being developed in partnership with Florida Space Authority.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Life Sciences (SLS) Lab, Jan Bauer, with Dynamac Corp., places samples of onion tissue in the elemental analyzer, which analyzes for carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and sulfur. The 100,000 square-foot SLS houses labs for NASA’s ongoing research efforts, microbiology/microbial ecology studies and analytical chemistry labs. Also calling the new lab home are facilities for space flight-experiment and flight-hardware development, new plant growth chambers, and an Orbiter Environment Simulator that will be used to conduct ground control experiments in simulated flight conditions for space flight experiments. The SLS Lab, formerly known as the Space Experiment Research and Processing Laboratory or SERPL, provides space for NASA’s Life Sciences Services contractor Dynamac Corporation, Bionetics Corporation, and researchers from the University of Florida. NASA’s Office of Biological and Physical Research will use the facility for processing life sciences experiments that will be conducted on the International Space Station. The SLS Lab is the magnet facility for the International Space Research Park at KSC being developed in partnership with Florida Space Authority.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Lanfang Levine, with Dynamac Corp., helps install a Dionex DX-500 IC/HPLC system in the Space Life Sciences Lab. The equipment will enable analysis of volatile compounds, such as from plants. The 100,000 square-foot facility houses labs for NASA’s ongoing research efforts, microbiology/microbial ecology studies and analytical chemistry labs. Also calling the new lab home are facilities for space flight-experiment and flight-hardware development, new plant growth chambers, and an Orbiter Environment Simulator that will be used to conduct ground control experiments in simulated flight conditions for space flight experiments. The SLS Lab, formerly known as the Space Experiment Research and Processing Laboratory or SERPL, provides space for NASA’s Life Sciences Services contractor Dynamac Corporation, Bionetics Corporation, and researchers from the University of Florida. NASA’s Office of Biological and Physical Research will use the facility for processing life sciences experiments that will be conducted on the International Space Station. The SLS Lab is the magnet facility for the International Space Research Park at KSC being developed in partnership with Florida Space Authority.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Space Life Sciences (SLS) Lab, Jan Bauer, with Dynamac Corp., weighs samples of onion tissue for processing in the elemental analyzer behind it. The equipment analyzes for carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and sulfur. The 100,000 square-foot SLS houses labs for NASA’s ongoing research efforts, microbiology/microbial ecology studies and analytical chemistry labs. Also calling the new lab home are facilities for space flight-experiment and flight-hardware development, new plant growth chambers, and an Orbiter Environment Simulator that will be used to conduct ground control experiments in simulated flight conditions for space flight experiments. The SLS Lab, formerly known as the Space Experiment Research and Processing Laboratory or SERPL, provides space for NASA’s Life Sciences Services contractor Dynamac Corporation, Bionetics Corporation, and researchers from the University of Florida. NASA’s Office of Biological and Physical Research will use the facility for processing life sciences experiments that will be conducted on the International Space Station. The SLS Lab is the magnet facility for the International Space Research Park at KSC being developed in partnership with Florida Space Authority.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, seated at the far end of table, center, visited the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on Aug. 7, 2018. Bridenstine talked with Commercial Crew Program (CCP) leadership inside a conference room at the Operations and Checkout Building. At right is Kennedy Center Director Bob Cabana. At left is Kathy Lueders, CCP manager. The administrator also toured facilities and received updates on the program.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Dignitaries, invited guests, space center employees, and the media gather for a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Space Life Sciences Lab hosted by NASA-Kennedy Space Center and the state of Florida at the new lab. Completed in August, the facility encompasses more than 100,000 square feet and was formerly known as the Space Experiment Research and Processing Laboratory or SERPL. The state, through the Florida Space Authority, built the research lab which is host to NASA, NASA’s Life Sciences Services contractor Dynamac Corp., Bionetics Corp., and researchers from the University of Florida. Dynamac Corp. leases the facility. The Florida Space Research Institute is responsible for gaining additional tenants from outside the NASA community.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Capt. Winston Scott, executive director of the Florida Space Authority, speaks at a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Space Life Sciences Lab hosted by NASA-Kennedy Space Center and the state of Florida at the new lab. Completed in August, the facility encompasses more than 100,000 square feet and was formerly known as the Space Experiment Research and Processing Laboratory or SERPL. The state, through the Florida Space Authority, built the research lab which is host to NASA, NASA’s Life Sciences Services contractor Dynamac Corp., Bionetics Corp., and researchers from the University of Florida. Dynamac Corp. leases the facility. The Florida Space Research Institute is responsible for gaining additional tenants from outside the NASA community.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Dignitaries, invited guests, space center employees, and the media show their appreciation for the speakers at a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Space Life Sciences Lab hosted by NASA-Kennedy Space Center and the state of Florida at the new lab. Completed in August, the facility encompasses more than 100,000 square feet and was formerly known as the Space Experiment Research and Processing Laboratory or SERPL. The state, through the Florida Space Authority, built the research lab which is host to NASA, NASA’s Life Sciences Services contractor Dynamac Corp., Bionetics Corp., and researchers from the University of Florida. Dynamac Corp. leases the facility. The Florida Space Research Institute is responsible for gaining additional tenants from outside the NASA community.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Dignitaries, invited guests, space center employees, and the media gather for a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Space Life Sciences Lab hosted by NASA-Kennedy Space Center and the state of Florida at the new lab. Completed in August, the facility encompasses more than 100,000 square feet and was formerly known as the Space Experiment Research and Processing Laboratory or SERPL. The state, through the Florida Space Authority, built the research lab which is host to NASA, NASA’s Life Sciences Services contractor Dynamac Corp., Bionetics Corp., and researchers from the University of Florida. Dynamac Corp. leases the facility. The Florida Space Research Institute is responsible for gaining additional tenants from outside the NASA community.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Frank T. Brogan, president of the Florida Atlantic University, speaks at a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Space Life Sciences Lab hosted by NASA-Kennedy Space Center and the state of Florida at the new lab. Completed in August, the facility encompasses more than 100,000 square feet and was formerly known as the Space Experiment Research and Processing Laboratory or SERPL. The state, through the Florida Space Authority, built the research lab which is host to NASA, NASA’s Life Sciences Services contractor Dynamac Corp., Bionetics Corp., and researchers from the University of Florida. Dynamac Corp. leases the facility. The Florida Space Research Institute is responsible for gaining additional tenants from outside the NASA community.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - (From left) Brian Duffy, Lockheed Martin vice president/associate program manager, Mildred Carter and Col. (Ret.) Herbert E. Carter, one of the Tuskegee Airmen, attend a dinner sponsored by the KSC Spaceflight and Life Sciences Office. Col. Carter was a guest speaker at the dinner.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Dynamac employees Debbie Wells, Michelle Crouch and Larry Burns are silhouetted as they talk inside a conference room of the Space Life Sciences Lab (SLSL), formerly known as the Space Experiment Research and Processing Laboratory (SERPL). They have been transferring equipment from Hangar L. The new lab is a state-of-the-art facility being built for ISS biotechnology research. Developed as a partnership between NASA-KSC and the State of Florida, NASA’s life sciences contractor will be the primary tenant of the facility, leasing space to conduct flight experiment processing and NASA-sponsored research. About 20 percent of the facility will be available for use by Florida’s university researchers through the Florida Space Research Institute.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Employees check out the new chamber facilities of the Space Life Sciences Lab (SLSL), formerly known as the Space Experiment Research and Processing Laboratory (SERPL). From left are Ray Wheeler, with NASA; Debbie Wells and Larry Burns, with Dynamac; A.O. Rule, president of Environmental Growth Chambers, Inc. (ECG); Neil Yorio, with Dynamac; and John Wiezchowski, with ECG. The SLSL is a state-of-the-art facility being built for ISS biotechnology research. Developed as a partnership between NASA-KSC and the State of Florida, NASA’s life sciences contractor will be the primary tenant of the facility, leasing space to conduct flight experiment processing and NASA-sponsored research. About 20 percent of the facility will be available for use by Florida’s university researchers through the Florida Space Research Institute.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Dynamac employees (from left) Larry Burns, Debbie Wells and Michelle Crouch talk in a conference room of the Space Life Sciences Lab (SLSL), formerly known as the Space Experiment Research and Processing Laboratory (SERPL). They have been transferring equipment from Hangar L. The new lab is a state-of-the-art facility being built for ISS biotechnology research. Developed as a partnership between NASA-KSC and the State of Florida, NASA’s life sciences contractor will be the primary tenant of the facility, leasing space to conduct flight experiment processing and NASA-sponsored research. About 20 percent of the facility will be available for use by Florida’s university researchers through the Florida Space Research Institute.

A look inside the International Space Station Payload Operations Integration Center at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL. The POIC team supports science operations on the International Space Station 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For more than 20 years the POIC team has worked with scientists from around the world to enable the space station crew to conduct experiments that improve life on Earth and enable future exploration.

A look inside the International Space Station Payload Operations Integration Center at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL. The POIC team supports science operations on the International Space Station 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For more than 20 years the POIC team has worked with scientists from around the world to enable the space station crew to conduct experiments that improve life on Earth and enable future exploration.

A look inside the International Space Station Payload Operations Integration Center at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL. The POIC team supports science operations on the International Space Station 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For more than 20 years the POIC team has worked with scientists from around the world to enable the space station crew to conduct experiments that improve life on Earth and enable future exploration.

A look inside the International Space Station Payload Operations Integration Center at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL. The POIC team supports science operations on the International Space Station 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For more than 20 years the POIC team has worked with scientists from around the world to enable the space station crew to conduct experiments that improve life on Earth and enable future exploration.

A look inside the International Space Station Payload Operations Integration Center at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL. The POIC team supports science operations on the International Space Station 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For more than 20 years the POIC team has worked with scientists from around the world to enable the space station crew to conduct experiments that improve life on Earth and enable future exploration.

A look inside the International Space Station Payload Operations Integration Center at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL. The POIC team supports science operations on the International Space Station 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For more than 20 years the POIC team has worked with scientists from around the world to enable the space station crew to conduct experiments that improve life on Earth and enable future exploration.

A look inside the International Space Station Payload Operations Integration Center at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL. The POIC team supports science operations on the International Space Station 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For more than 20 years the POIC team has worked with scientists from around the world to enable the space station crew to conduct experiments that improve life on Earth and enable future exploration.

A look inside the International Space Station Payload Operations Integration Center at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL. The POIC team supports science operations on the International Space Station 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For more than 20 years the POIC team has worked with scientists from around the world to enable the space station crew to conduct experiments that improve life on Earth and enable future exploration.

A look inside the International Space Station Payload Operations Integration Center at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL. The POIC team supports science operations on the International Space Station 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For more than 20 years the POIC team has worked with scientists from around the world to enable the space station crew to conduct experiments that improve life on Earth and enable future exploration.

A look inside the International Space Station Payload Operations Integration Center at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL. The POIC team supports science operations on the International Space Station 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For more than 20 years the POIC team has worked with scientists from around the world to enable the space station crew to conduct experiments that improve life on Earth and enable future exploration.

A look inside the International Space Station Payload Operations Integration Center at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL. The POIC team supports science operations on the International Space Station 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For more than 20 years the POIC team has worked with scientists from around the world to enable the space station crew to conduct experiments that improve life on Earth and enable future exploration.

A look inside the International Space Station Payload Operations Integration Center at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL. The POIC team supports science operations on the International Space Station 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For more than 20 years the POIC team has worked with scientists from around the world to enable the space station crew to conduct experiments that improve life on Earth and enable future exploration.

A look inside the International Space Station Payload Operations Integration Center at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL. The POIC team supports science operations on the International Space Station 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For more than 20 years the POIC team has worked with scientists from around the world to enable the space station crew to conduct experiments that improve life on Earth and enable future exploration.

A look inside the International Space Station Payload Operations Integration Center at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL. The POIC team supports science operations on the International Space Station 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For more than 20 years the POIC team has worked with scientists from around the world to enable the space station crew to conduct experiments that improve life on Earth and enable future exploration.

A look inside the International Space Station Payload Operations Integration Center at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL. The POIC team supports science operations on the International Space Station 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For more than 20 years the POIC team has worked with scientists from around the world to enable the space station crew to conduct experiments that improve life on Earth and enable future exploration.

Artist: Roger Arno Space Station Life Sciences Payload module

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Hyeon-Hye Kim, a plant physiologist with the National Research Council at the Space Life Sciences Lab, discusses the growing of plants utilizing light-emitting diodes (LEDs) during a tour of the Space Life Sciences Lab for members of the news media. A major challenge to growing plants in space will be controlling and supplying sufficient quantity and quality of light. LEDs represent an innovative artificial lighting source with several features specific for supporting plants, whether on space-based transit vehicles or planetary life support systems.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - The Honorable Toni Jennings (left), lieutenant governor of the state of Florida, and Frank T. Brogan, president of Florida Atlantic University, receive a briefing on the research that will be conducted in the Space Life Sciences Lab from Dr. Robert J. Ferl (right), director of Space Agriculture Biotechnology Research and Education (SABRE), University of Florida. Jennings and Brogan are speaking at a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the lab hosted by NASA-Kennedy Space Center and the state of Florida at the new lab. Completed in August, the facility encompasses more than 100,000 square feet and was formerly known as the Space Experiment Research and Processing Laboratory or SERPL. The state, through the Florida Space Authority, built the research lab which is host to NASA, NASA’s Life Sciences Services contractor Dynamac Corp., Bionetics Corp., and researchers from the University of Florida. Dynamac Corp. leases the facility. The Florida Space Research Institute is responsible for gaining additional tenants from outside the NASA community.