The Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR) was designed to test experiments that focus on fire prevention, detection and suppression of fires in space.  The hardware was delivered on STS-126 (November 2008) to the ISS and installed in the US LAB.  The CIR provides a 100-liter chamber with eight optical windows with easily reconfigurable diagnostics, digital cameras and lighting with large data storage capability, gas distribution/cleanup, passive vibration isolation, and vacuum resources to support a wide range of gravity-dependent gaseous, liquid and solid combustion experiments.

The Fluids Integrated Rack (FIR) was designed to test and understand critical technologies needed for advanced life support and future spacecraft thermal control, research in complex fluids (colloids) and life science experiments.  The hardware was delivered on STS-128 (August 2009) to the ISS and installed in the US LAB.  The FIR provides the largest, contiguous volume for experimental hardware of any ISS facility, easily reconfigurable diagnostics, customizable software, active rack-level vibration isolation, and other subsystems that are required to support a wide range of gravity-dependent fluid physics and life science investigations.

The Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) is a rack facility aboard the International Space Station (ISS) in which fundamental and applied scientific research is conducted. The MSG has been operating on the ISS since July 2002 and is located in the US Laboratory. The unique design of the facility allows it to accommodate science and technology investigations in a “workbench” type environment. The facility has an enclosed working volume that is held at a negative pressure with respect to the crew living area. This allows the facility to provide two levels of containment for small parts, particulates, fluids, and gases. This containment approach protects the crew from possible hazardous operations that take place inside the MSG work volume. Research investigations operating inside the MSG are provided a large 255 liter enclosed work space, 1000 watts of dc power via a versatile supply interface (120, 28, + 12, and 5 Vdc), 1000 watts of cooling capability, video and data recording and real time downlink, ground commanding capabilities, access to ISS Vacuum Exhaust and Vacuum Resource Systems, and gaseous nitrogen supply. These capabilities make the MSG one of the most utilized science facilities on ISS. In fact, the MSG has been used for over 10,000 hours of scientific payload operations. MSG investigations involve research in cryogenic fluid management, fluid physics, spacecraft fire safety, materials science, combustion, plant growth, human health, and life support technologies. The MSG facility is ideal for advancing our understanding of the role of gravity upon science investigations and research and to utilize the ISS as a technology platform for space exploration.

Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) Quad Chart

The MSRR is designed to study a variety of materials including metals, ceramics, semiconductor crystals, and glasses for developing improved materials. The MSRR was launched on STS-128 in August 2009 and is installed in the USLAB. Eight current NASA investigator lead projects are to be conducted in Materials Science Research Rack (MSRR) furnace inserts. An additional three NASA funded projects provide modeling support to international science teams utilizing the MSRR. The rack is a NASA development and contains the ESA developed Materials Science Laboratory (MSL). Two furnace inserts that interface to the MSL are also supplied by ESA. NASA and ESA utilize the rack and its inserts in a shared arrangement. MSRR is a highly automated facility in which sample cartridges can be processed up to temperatures of 1400 °C. The experiments can be run by automatic command or via telemetry commands from the ground. The initial US MSRR investigations are to be performed between 2013 and 2017. Additional MSRR investigations are to be selected in the 2015-2016 timeframe.

Materials Science Research Rack (MSRR) Quad Chart