International Space Station Testbed for Exploration

The International Space Station (ISS) is an orbiting laboratory where we are looking for answers to fundamental questions about life, the world in which we live and the universe around us. The mission of the ISS is to advance science and technology research, expand human knowledge, inspire and educate the next generation, foster the commercial development of space and demonstrate capabilities to enable future exploration missions beyond low Earth orbit (LEO). The ISS is the only long-duration platform available in the relevant space environment with an integrated space systems architecture that can be used to demonstrate advanced technologies and operations concepts. Working in close cooperation with the exploration community, the ISS Program is enabling technology and systems investigations in support of future exploration endeavors. In this capacity, the space station serves as the world's leading test bed for cutting-edge technology in microgravity. Although much of this technology has applications for use on Earth it is equally important to utilize the space station as a test bed to demonstrate operational techniques and capabilities, and to demonstrate technologies and advanced systems that will enable human exploration beyond LEO to destinations including the Moon and Mars. The international spaceflight community, including multiple government agencies and industry partners, is coalescing around plans for extending human exploration of lunar space and beyond to Mars. Working with the international exploration community, the Global Exploration Roadmap was developed to provide an internationally, phased approach defining capabilities that will be needed for future exploration. Demonstration of these advanced capabilities is a primary objective of the ISS Program mission. This paper describes key human spaceflight technologies and operations demonstrations that have been performed on the ISS and those that are planned in the future. The paper will address the importance and application of these technologies to deep space human spaceflight. This will include deep space environment mitigations, deep space life support, advanced fire safety equipment, advanced exercise and medical equipment, automated rendezvous and docking, operating with communications lag, and telerobotic operations.