MISSE is a platform that allows users to expose various material samples and devices to the environment right outside of the International Space Station (ISS) for a given period of time to study the effects and change in durability that the harsh space environment have on them. Customer test articles have previously included camera systems, electronics, material samples, fabrics, transmitters, and simple life science experiments.

Unlike inside ISS where astronauts normally live, the environment outside of the ISS is a high vacuum environment with almost no air and no protective barriers against space radiation. The temperature difference on MISSE between day and night is about 120°C, making it a very harsh environment.

These special environments generally accelerate the degradation of materials, allowing observation of the degradation processes in shorter periods of time than in experiments done on ground.

The size of the material samples that can be loaded onto MISSE can be as small as a golf ball (min. 5 cm3), and can be as big as two palm’s worth (max. 26,700 cm3) . The samples are placed on a platform called a Carrier, and a single Carrier can be entirely occupied. The system can optionally be powered and operated by a power supply.


MISSE features and services are as follows:
Features:
● Exposes samples to the space environment approximately 400 km above the ground. (Low Earth Orbit)
● Temperature range of the carrier where the sample is placed is approximately -40°C~80°C.
● Sample placement location can be selected. (facing Earth, facing away from Earth, etc.)
● Fixed pricing, with turnkey service.
● Two launch and retrieval opportunities per year for the remaining life of the ISS.
● Modular Carrier (customizable as needed)
● Sample can be supplied with power (optional).
● Photographs samples and continuously collects data.
● Testing period of 6 months (typically) or longer.
● Available for engineering demonstrations, basic sciences, or commercial products.

Services:
● Power - 50W, 28VDC
● I/O - USB, Ethernet, CAN & RS422 for Data,
● Sample photos - monthly
● Data collected - UV intensity, Atomic Oxygen Concentration and Total Ionizing Dose Radiation Level
● Misc.: Can be connected to solar cells as testbed.

MISSE has achieved the highest Technology Readiness Level of 9* as indicated by NASA. 8 missions have been conducted as of late 2022, and more than 1,000 samples have been tested with 22 carriers. For the remaining life of the ISS, MISSE is scheduled to be launched twice a year.

* Level 9 is the highest level, meaning that the system is an actual system that has been "flight proven" through successful missions.

Aegis Aerospace, a company that provides MISSE services, is headquartered in Houston, Texas. The company has operations in 10 locations, including the International Space Station. The company was formed in 2021 through the merger of MEI Technologies Inc. (MEIT), a company with nearly 30 years of experience in the U.S. space and defense sector since the space shuttle era, and Alpha Space Test & Research Alliance (Alpha Space), a leading general service space and defense company. Aegis Aerospace provides services mainly in the United States.

Message from Aegis Aerospace to Asia!
"Aegis looks forward to working with you to accomplish your orbital testing objectives. Working with us, you can focus exclusively on your technology. We do everything else."

Why don't you use MISSE to fulfill various requests such as "We want to confirm whether our materials can withstand the space environment" or "We want to confirm whether our equipment can work in the space environment without any problems."?