2016
Space milestones
Kayser’s presence in the United Kingdom consolidates
Following the establishment of Kayser Space in 2015, the British organisation works alongside the Livorno operation and strengthens the company’s international presence. Relationships with the British space sector, opportunities for collaboration and development capabilities expand.
Kayser delivers the ACLS FM avionics to Airbus
Six months after delivery of the Engineering Model, Kayser delivers the Flight Model (FM) avionics of the Advanced Closed Loop System facility to Airbus Defence and Space. Airbus proceeds with integration and qualification ahead of flight and use on the International Space Station.
The first detection of gravitational waves is announced
The LIGO experiment announces the first direct observation of gravitational waves, generated by the merger of two black holes. The discovery opens a new way of observing the Universe.
Missions & Payloads
SpaceX CRS-8
Dragon capsule cargo mission to the International Space Station. It transports supplies, experiments and the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM), an expandable space habitat demonstrator.
SPHEROIDS
ESA experiment dedicated to studying human endothelial cells, which line the inside of blood vessels. The aim is to determine whether microgravity encourages the spontaneous formation of three-dimensional structures resembling tissues and vessels. It uses an automated unit equipped with experimental chambers and systems for feeding the cells, replacing the culture medium and fixing the samples, without requiring continuous crew intervention. It reaches the ISS on SpaceX CRS-8 in April 2016. The samples are fixed after approximately 5 and 12 days.