| Abstract Scope |
Over the past several years, innovators working aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have demonstrated that microgravity manufacturing often produces higher yields and higher quality of a variety of materials and biomaterials. These advances have important implications for high-value commercial markets, for semiconductors, photonics, pharmaceuticals, regenerative medicine, and many biotechnology applications. These improvements include proteins, pharmaceutical compounds, semiconductor materials, and other highly complex molecular systems. As modern technologies increasingly require materials with atomic- and molecular-scale perfection, defects introduced by Earth's gravity become a growing limitation. Microgravity manufacturing offers an increasingly practical and validated path toward producing the next generation of advanced materials, biomedical products, and manufacturing technologies for both Earth-based industries and future space exploration. Several landmark demonstrations occurred on the ISS over the past 5 years. They include artificial retina, regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, semimetal-semiconductor composite, and high-quality ZBLAN optical fibers. In this presentation, prominent accomplishments will be highlighted. |