Company:Nanoracks

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Nanoracks
IndustryAerospace
Founded2009; 17 years ago (2009)
FounderJeffrey Manber
Headquarters
Houston, Texas
,
United States
Number of locations
5 (4 are terrestrial, 1 is lab space on ISS in low-Earth orbit)
Key people
Jeffrey Manber and
Charles Miller
ServicesIn-space services;
Small satellite launch services;
CubeSat launch services;
Microgravity payload integration
Number of employees
More than 100
Websitenanoracks.com

Nanoracks LLC is an American private in-space services company[1][2] which builds space hardware and in-space repurposing tools.[3] The company also facilitates experiments and launches of CubeSats to Low Earth Orbit.[4]

Nanoracks's main office is in Houston, Texas. The business development office is in Washington, D.C., and additional offices are located in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Turin, Italy.[6][7] Nanoracks provides tools, hardware and services that allow other companies, organizations and governments to conduct research and other projects in space.[5]

Nanoracks currently helps facilitate science on the International Space Station in multiple ways and built the Bishop Airlock to launch payloads from the International Space Station.

As part of a Series A funding round, XO Markets Holdings Inc. was formed as a holding company for NanoRacks, LLC.[6] As of 2021, Nanoracks is the largest subsidiary of X.O. Markets. In May 2021, Voyager Technologies (formerly Voyager Space Holdings) acquired a majority stake in X.O. Markets, becoming the parent company of Nanoracks and positioning the company within a larger space technology portfolio.[7]

History

A set of CubeSats is deployed by the Nanoracks CubeSat Deployer attached to the end of the Japanese robotic arm on the International Space Station (25 February 2014).

Nanoracks was founded in 2009 by Jeffrey Manber[8] and Charles Miller[9][10][11] to provide commercial hardware and services for the U.S. National Laboratory on board the International Space Station via a Space Act Agreement with NASA. Nanoracks signed their first contract with NASA in September 2009 and had their first laboratory on the Space Station in April 2010.[5]

In August 2012, Nanoracks partnered with Space Florida to host the Space Florida International Space Station (ISS) Research Competition.[12] As part of this program, Nanoracks and DreamUp provide research NanoLab box units to fly payloads to the ISS, with scientific research to be conducted on board the U.S. National Laboratory.[13] In October 2013, Nanoracks became the first company to coordinate the deployment of small satellites from the ISS via the airlock in the Japanese Kibō module. This deployment was done using the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (J-SSOD).[14]

By 2015, Nanoracks had deployed 64 satellites into low Earth orbit, and had 16 satellites on the ISS awaiting deployment, with an order backlog of 99.[15] The company also announced an agreement to fly a Chinese DNA experiment from the Beijing Institute of Technology on the International Space Station. The agreement includes Nanoracks delivering the experiment to the American side of the ISS in a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and berthing the experiment to Nanoracks' orbiting laboratory facilities, then sending data back to the Chinese researchers.[16] In 2022, Nanoracks became the first company to cut a piece of metal in space.[17]

In December 2020, Voyager Technologies (formerly Voyager Space Holdings) announced its intent to acquire a majority stake in X.O. Markets, the parent company of Nanoracks. The acquisition was completed in May 2021, with Voyager obtaining majority ownership. This strategic move positioned Nanoracks as a key subsidiary within Voyager's growing space technology portfolio.[18]

Facilities and labs

Nanoracks Bishop Airlock

Main article: Engineering:Nanoracks Bishop Airlock

The Nanoracks Bishop Airlock is a commercially-funded airlock module launched to the International Space Station on SpaceX CRS-21 on 6 December 2020.[19][20] The module was built by Nanoracks, Thales Alenia Space, and Boeing.[21] It will be used to deploy CubeSats, small satellites, and other external payloads for NASA, Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), and other commercial and governmental customers.[22]

Internal ISS Services

Nanoracks facilities on the International Space Station (ISS) include the Plate Reader-2 – a Molecular Devices SpectraMax M5e modified for space flight and the microgravity environment. This spectrophotometer analyzes samples by shining light (200-1000 nm) either on or through the top or bottom of each sample in the well of a microplate. The Nanoracks Plate Reader-2 can accommodate cuvettes in special microplate holders as well as 6-, 12-, 24-, 48-, 96-, and 384-well microplates. It can operate in absorbance, fluorescence intensity, or fluorescence polarization modes.[23][24] Laboratory space on the ISS is provided to Nanoracks by NASA under a contractual lease arrangement.[25]

External ISS Services

Main article: Astronomy:Nanoracks CubeSat Deployer

Nanoracks deploys small CubeSats into orbit from the ISS through the Nanoracks CubeSat Deployer via the airlock in the Japanese Kibō module, after the satellites are transported to the ISS on a cargo spacecraft. When released, the small satellites are provided a push of about 1 m/s (3.3 ft/s) that begins a slow process of satellite separation from the ISS.[25]

External Platform (NREP)

JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi (background) and NASA astronaut Kathleen Rubins (foreground) prepare the Nanoracks External Platform (NREP) for installation.


External Cygnus Deployer (E-NRCSD)

E-NRCSD missions:

Mars Demo-1

Mars Demo-1 (OMD-1) is a self-contained hosted payload platform to demonstrate the robotic cutting of second stage representative tank material on-orbit.[28]

Starlab

Starlab is a LEO space station jointly developed by Nanoracks, Voyager Technologies and Airbus. It was originally proposed for the Commercial LEO Destinations (CLD) program, and in December of 2021 it was one of three concepts selected to continue their work with grants from NASA, i.e. $160 million. The station is proposed to serve as a weightlessness research laboratory, particularly for the pharmaceutical industry, and the plan is also to have it open to American and European astronauts, but not to space tourism. Initial concept used an inflatable structure for the main habitation area, while a later redesign shifted to a rigid construction (necessitating a larger launcher).

Unrealized proposals

Ixion was a proposal for a wet workshop extension to the ISS.[29] Initial concept was based on the Centaur rocket stage combined with a "mission module" (providing an airlock and a radial docking port), while later variations (renamed to Outpost) were to use ULA's ACES, depicted with radial docking ports on the side and conformal solar arrays.

The Lightweight Urthecast NanoRacks Alcove (LUNA) was to be a small experimental module built jointly with Urthecast, installed on a docking port on Node 3 currently used by BEAM. It was to provides experimental space for NanoRacks and earth observation instruments for UrtheCast.[30]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Testimony of Mr. Jeffrey Manber before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation". 9 April 2014. http://images.spaceref.com/docs/2014/here_to_mars_Manber_Testimony_040914.pdf. 
  2. ↑ Garud-Barna, Sumedha (2014-11-17). "NanoRacks". http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/researchpark/partners/space/nanoracks. 
  3. ↑ "Our Vision for Commercial Space Exploration" (in en-US). https://nanoracks.com/our-vision/. 
  4. ↑ Clark, Stephen. "Nanoracks experiment poised to demonstrate metal cutting in orbit – Spaceflight Now" (in en-US). https://spaceflightnow.com/2022/05/24/nanoracks-experiment-poised-to-demonstrate-metal-cutting-in-orbit/. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Nanoracks Is Making Space Science Affordable For Everyone". Forbes. 2011-11-21. https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2011/11/21/nanoracks-is-making-space-science-affordable-for-everyone/. 
  6. ↑ "NanoRacks, LLC Announces Formation of XO Markets Holding And Completion of Series A Financing". https://nanoracks.com/wp-content/uploads/NanoRacks-Release-17-Emerge-and-Others-Join-NanoRacks.pdf. 
  7. ↑ "Voyager Space Closes Acquisition of Nanoracks Parent Company". 11 May 2021. https://www.satellitetoday.com/finance/2021/05/11/voyager-space-closes-acquisition-of-nanoracks-parent-company/. 
  8. ↑ "Our History". Nanoracks. http://nanoracks.com/about-us/our-history/. 
  9. ↑ "The Space Show". https://www.thespaceshow.com/. 
  10. ↑ "DataFox". https://datafox.com/nanoracks. 
  11. ↑ "Space Policy Online". http://www.spacepolicyonline.com/events/space-policy-hist-forum-with-charles-miller-sept-2015-dc. 
  12. ↑ https://www.spaceflorida.gov/ Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  13. ↑ http://www.dreamup.org/all-star-programs/#Space Florida ISS Research Competition
  14. ↑ "F-1 and companion CubeSats to be deployed to space from Kibō module on 27 September 2014: Kibō Utilization Office for Asia (KUOA) – International Space Station". JAXA. http://iss.jaxa.jp/en/kuoa/news/kuoa_120921.html. 
  15. ↑ Foust, Jeff (2015-06-12). "Smallsat Developers Enjoy Growth In Launch Options". SpaceNews. http://spacenews.com/smallsat-developers-enjoy-growth-in-launch-options/. 
  16. ↑ Berger, Eric (2015-08-03). "For the first time Chinese research to fly on NASA's space station". Houston Chronicle. http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/For-the-first-time-Chinese-research-to-fly-on-6422696.php?t=642e9c8e37438d9cbb. 
  17. ↑ Alamalhodaei, Aria (2022-09-16). "Nanoracks cut a piece of metal in space for the first time" (in en-US). https://techcrunch.com/2022/09/16/nanoracks-metal-cutting/. 
  18. ↑ "Voyager Space Holdings, Inc. Acquires Majority Stake of X.O. Markets, Parent of Nanoracks". PR Newswire. May 10, 2021. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/voyager-space-holdings-inc-acquires-majority-stake-of-xo-markets-parent-of-nanoracks-301287168.html. 
  19. ↑ "Thales Alenia Space reaches key milestone for Nanoracks' airlock module" (Press release). Thales Alenia Space. 20 March 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
  20. ↑ Clark, Stephen (2 August 2019). "SpaceX to begin flights under new cargo resupply contract next year". Spaceflight Now. https://spaceflightnow.com/2019/08/02/spacex-to-begin-flights-under-new-cargo-resupply-contract-next-year/. 
  21. ↑ "Nanoracks, Boeing to Build First Commercial ISS Airlock Module". Nanoracks. 6 February 2017. http://nanoracks.com/nanoracks-boeing-first-commercial-airlock-module-on-iss/. 
  22. ↑ Garcia, Mark (6 February 2017). "Progress Underway for First Commercial Airlock on Space Station". NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/progress-underway-for-first-commercial-airlock-on-space-station.  Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  23. ↑ "Launching Second Generation Plate Reader to the ISS". 12 July 2016. http://nanoracks.com/nanoracks-to-launch-second-generation-plate-reader-to-nasas-iss/. 
  24. ↑ "SpectraMax M Series Multi-Mode Microplate Readers" (in en). https://www.moleculardevices.com/products/microplate-readers/multi-mode-readers/spectramax-m-series-readers. 
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Foust, Jeff (2014-03-24). "Making the most of the ISS". The Space Review 2014. http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2478/1. Retrieved 2014-03-27. 
  26. ↑ "Cygnus "S.S. Gene Cernan" En-Route to Space Station after Sunday Morning Commute to Orbit – Spaceflight101" (in en-US). 12 November 2017. https://spaceflight101.com/antares-launches-cygnus-oa8-cargo-spacecraft/. 
  27. ↑ Clark, Stephen (21 May 2018). "Antares rocket launch kicks off space station's next commercial cargo delivery – Spaceflight Now" (in en-US). https://spaceflightnow.com/2018/05/21/antares-rocket-launch-kicks-off-space-stations-next-commercial-cargo-delivery/. 
  28. ↑ Berger, Eric (23 October 2019). "50 years after NASA discarded the wet workshop, a company aims to revive it". Ars Technica. https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/10/can-a-robot-cut-metal-in-space-we-may-find-out-next-year/. Retrieved 29 March 2021. 
  29. ↑ Grush, Loren (2017-06-14). "How one company wants to recycle used rockets into deep-space habitats" (in en-US). https://www.theverge.com/2017/6/14/15783494/nasa-nanoracks-ixion-nextstep-habitats-rocket-upper-stage. 
  30. ↑ "LUNA" (in en). https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/luna.htm. 



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