2011
Space milestones
Kayser turns 25 and looks ahead to three launches
In its twenty-fifth year of operation, Kayser has around 50 missions and 80 experiments to its name. Within a few months, it participates in three launches with European, Russian and Chinese partners. On STS-134, seven of the twelve Italian experiments carried involve the company. The business founded in 1986 thus consolidates its presence in international human spaceflight programmes.
Kayser participates in a Chinese mission for the first time
With Shenzhou-8, Kayser and its partner Astrium participate in a biological research programme that extends the company’s collaborations to the Chinese space sector. For this mission, BIOBOX is modified and adapted to the Chinese platform, taking the name SIMBOX. The incubator enables 17 biological experiments to be completed during a mission that includes two dockings with Tiangong-1. Kayser personnel participate directly in mission operations and recovery of the incubator, concluding a three-year collaboration.
The Space Shuttle era ends
Atlantis’s STS-135 mission closes the Space Shuttle programme after thirty years, during which it played a leading role in constructing the ISS and transporting numerous payloads into orbit.
China performs its first docking
Shenzhou-8 performs China’s first docking with Tiangong-1, marking a key milestone on the path towards a Chinese space station.
Missions & Payloads
SIMBOX
Automated experimental incubator, an evolution of the BIOBOX facility, installed in the Shenzhou-8 capsule. It has a temperature-controlled environment and an internal 1 g centrifuge, allowing samples exposed to microgravity to be compared with control samples during the same flight. It hosts 17 biological and medical experiments on plants, nematodes, bacteria and human cells. The mission lasts approximately 17 days and represents an important scientific collaboration between Germany and China within the Shenzhou programme.
SHENZHOU-8
Chinese automatic mission that performs two dockings with the Tiangong-1 orbital laboratory, validating key technologies for the development of the future Chinese space station.
ATV-2
Second mission of the European Automated Transfer Vehicle. It delivers supplies to the International Space Station and contributes to raising its orbit. It concludes with a controlled destructive re-entry into the atmosphere.
STS-133
Final flight of the Space Shuttle Discovery. It transports the Leonardo Permanent Multipurpose Module and the ELC-4 external logistics platform to the International Space Station.
ELITE Refurb
Upgrade to ELITE-S2 for a new phase of studies on posture and motor control aboard the ISS, following the initial 2007–2008 campaigns. The programme provides for integration in 2011 and use during Increments 31 and 32. STS-133, launched on 24 February 2011, supports the upgrading of the station’s scientific hardware. The original system is developed by BTS in Milan and adapted by Kayser Italia for operation on the ISS.
SOYUZ 29S
Crewed mission to the International Space Station for Expeditions 30 and 31. It transports Oleg Kononenko, Donald Pettit and ESA astronaut André Kuipers.
DAMA
Italian mission aboard the final flight of the Space Shuttle Endeavour, launched on 16 May 2011. During the almost 16-day mission, Roberto Vittori performs Italian physiology, biology and technology experiments and participates in activities to install AMS-02, the spectrometer dedicated to studying antimatter, dark matter and cosmic rays.
ROALD-2
Experiment dedicated to studying the role of the endocannabinoid system in lymphocyte survival and apoptosis in microgravity. Eight experimental containers reach the ISS on Soyuz TMA-03M / 29S and are processed in the KUBIK-3 incubator at 37 °C. The samples are fixed at predetermined intervals, up to 48 hours, and subsequently frozen in MELFI for return to Earth. Kayser Italia builds the experiment for ESA.
Mini-ECCO
Compact version of the ECCO family, developed by Kayser Italia to transport small biological samples at controlled temperatures. The highly thermally insulated passive container uses phase-change material (PCM) cartridges and requires no electrical power during transfer. It is part of the ECCO, ECCO-b and Mini-ECCO container family, designed to transport samples on Soyuz, Progress, ATV and HTV vehicles.
STS-134
Final mission of the Space Shuttle Endeavour. It transports the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer AMS-02 and the ELC-3 external logistics platform to the International Space Station.