Center for the Advancement of Science in Space

What Center for the Advancement of Science in Space does

The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) is a U.S. non-profit organization founded in 2011 that manages the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory under a Cooperative Agreement with NASA. Headquartered in Merritt Island, Florida, CASIS functions as a public-private intermediary that allocates access to the U.S. orbital segment of the ISS for research use, mediating between NASA, federal research sponsors, academic institutions, startups, and commercial equipment providers. The organization's core asset is the ISS National Laboratory platform — a persistent microgravity environment approximately 250 miles above Earth — supported by specialized research hardware including the MISSE Flight Facility (operated by Aegis Aerospace) and Redwire Space's Multi-Use Variable-Gravity Platform. To date, CASIS has facilitated over 940 payload launches and supported more than 630 peer-reviewed scientific publications spanning life sciences, physical sciences, advanced manufacturing, regenerative medicine, and technology development.

CASIS operates a managed-services revenue model anchored on the NASA Cooperative Agreement and supplemented by research grants (NSF, Air Force Office of Scientific Research), corporate sponsorships, and the Orbital Edge Accelerator program (launching in 2026), which provides startups with access to low Earth orbit and commercialization funding. Research opportunities are awarded through formal solicitations (Research Announcements) rather than open-market pricing; access costs and pricing are not publicly disclosed. The customer base spans four primary segments: life sciences and healthcare researchers (e.g., LambdaVision, Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine), physical sciences and in-space manufacturing users, startups and growth-stage companies (via Orbital Edge Accelerator), and technology developers leveraging harsh-environment testing. Notable equipment partners include Nikon Corporation (live cell observation systems) and Redwire Space (variable-gravity platforms).

The organization's strategic context is shaped by the ISS's planned deorbit around 2030, which establishes a finite operational runway and is driving CASIS to position its research portfolio, partner relationships, and program structures for eventual migration to commercial low Earth orbit platforms. Active initiatives include the Orbital Edge Accelerator 2026, the POLARIS radiation-biology project funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and NSF-funded research initiatives. CASIS maintains a small core team (11-50 employees) and relies on a network of implementation partners, commercial service providers, and federal sponsors to scale research throughput beyond its internal capacity.

Name

Center for the Advancement of Science in Space

Legal name

Center for the Advancement of Science in Space

Website

https://iss-casis.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CASIS is a U.S. non-profit that manages the ISS National Laboratory under a NASA Cooperative Agreement, facilitating microgravity research for life sciences, advanced manufacturing, and technology development by academic, government, and commercial users.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Space-based Research Platform and Microgravity Laboratory Services

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Spacecraft & Satellites (Civil/Commercial) (IMABACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Spacecraft Integration, Assembly & Test (IAT) (IMABACAK), Ground Segment Systems (Ground Stations, TT&C, Mission Ops) (IMABACAJ)

Keywords

• Space research services
• Microgravity research platform
• Low earth orbit laboratory
• ISS national laboratory access
• In-space production research

Headquarters

HQ city

Merritt Island

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Public-Private Partnerships and Research Sponsorship: CASIS generates value through public-private partnerships in space research. The ISS National Lab model enables transformative knowledge and economic benefits through research sponsorships from government agencies, commercial companies, and non-profit organizations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CASIS manages the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory, providing researchers, startups, government agencies, and commercial companies with managed access to a persistent microgravity research environment in low Earth orbit. Core offerings include research facility access across life sciences, physical sciences, in-space production, and technology development, complemented by the Orbital Edge Accelerator startup program, the MISSE Flight Facility for materials testing, and integration with implementation partners and commercial service providers.

Product overview

The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) operates the ISS National Laboratory as its core platform, providing managed access to the International Space Station for space-based research. The portfolio includes the Orbital Edge Accelerator startup program, the Upward Magazine publication, the MISSE Flight Facility for materials testing, and access to various research facilities through the Research Facilities Directory. These offerings work together to facilitate research across life sciences, physical sciences, advanced manufacturing, tissue engineering, and technology development in the microgravity environment of low Earth orbit.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Orbital Edge Accelerator: A startup accelerator program providing access to low Earth orbit and funding for space technology development and commercialization.

Products and services

• ISS National Laboratory A research platform managed by CASIS that provides access to the International Space Station for conducting experiments in low Earth orbit microgravity across life sciences, physical sciences, and advanced manufacturing. Targeted at researchers, startups, government agencies, and commercial companies.
• Orbital Edge Accelerator Startup accelerator program providing early-stage and growth-stage companies with access to low Earth orbit and funding to support spaceflight technology development and commercialization. Targeted at startups in space technology, AI, robotics, and advanced materials.
• MISSE Flight Facility Permanent external platform on the ISS providing exposure to harsh space conditions for accelerated testing of materials and technologies with applications both in space and on Earth. Owned and operated by Aegis Aerospace and made available through the ISS National Lab.
• Multi-Use Variable-Gravity Platform (Redwire Space) A research platform used on the ISS for conducting variable-gravity experiments supporting tissue engineering and regenerative medicine research. Provided through partnership with Redwire Space.
• Research Facilities Directory Directory of ISS research facilities available to researchers for planning and conducting space-based experiments.
• Commercial Service Provider Pathway Pathway enabling commercial service providers to offer research services on the ISS National Laboratory. Targeted at commercial enterprises seeking B2B research service delivery.

Quantifiable outcome

• Startups have collectively raised over $2.7 billion in funding through ISS National Lab research
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• MargaritavilleminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 November 2025Margaritaville launched a mission patch supporting ISS National Lab-sponsored research, with proceeds donated to fund space-based investigations that benefit Earth. The patch is inspired by Jimmy Buffett and symbolizes space-based research to address sustainability and environmental challenges, aiming to foster public engagement through creative partnerships.
• Aegis AerospacecoreTechnology or IntegrationAegis Aerospace owns and operates the MISSE Flight Facility, a commercial facility on the exterior of the ISS that provides exposure to harsh space conditions for accelerated testing of materials and technologies with applications both in space and on Earth.
• Nikon Corporation / Nikon Instruments Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationNikon Corporation and its U.S. subsidiary Nikon Instruments Inc. had their live cell observation system selected for a NASA-supported research project on the ISS, focused on studying the effects of microgravity on life sciences and drug discovery for long-term visual analysis of cell behavior.
• Redwire SpacecoreTechnology or IntegrationRedwire Space provided its Multi-Use Variable-Gravity Platform for the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine's 3D bioprinted liver tissue experiment on the ISS, supporting NASA's Vascular Tissue Challenge.
• NASAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCASIS manages the ISS National Laboratory under an agreement with NASA. The ISS is entering its final five years of planned operation, with efforts underway to deorbit it around 2030. NASA and international partners are working on operational management, crew missions, and deorbiting technologies.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Space Tango: Space Tango operates commercial research and manufacturing services on the ISS National Lab, providing similar payload integration, hardware development, and microgravity experiment support. Direct peer in providing turnkey in-space research services to academic and commercial customers.
• Nanoracks (Voyager Space): Nanoracks (now part of Voyager Space) historically operated commercial payload services on the ISS, including the Bishop Airlock, and is the most direct commercial competitor in ISS research access services.
• BioServe Space Technologies: BioServe is a University of Colorado research center that has flown hundreds of life sciences and biotechnology experiments on the ISS, providing similar microgravity research services to academic, government, and commercial customers.

Broad incumbents

• Axiom Space: Axiom Space is developing commercial modules for the ISS and a free-flying commercial space station, positioning itself as a potential successor platform for ISS-based research coordination. Broader incumbent with overlapping research access ambitions.
• Sierra Space: Sierra Space is developing the Orbital Reef commercial space station in partnership with Blue Origin and is positioning to host research customers in the post-ISS era — a broader incumbent competing for the same future research market.
• Voyager Space: Voyager Space (parent of Nanoracks) is developing the Starlab commercial space station with Airbus and is a likely competitor for the post-ISS research coordination role that CASIS currently holds.
• Redwire Space: Redwire Space develops and operates multiple research platforms used on the ISS (including the variable-gravity platform used in CASIS-facilitated experiments) and is building commercial LEO capabilities. A technology partner and broader incumbent in space infrastructure.

Others

• NASA: CASIS's primary counterparty under the Cooperative Agreement that governs ISS National Lab operations. Not a competitor but the regulatory and operational anchor for CASIS's existence and the most important stakeholder in any post-ISS transition.

Emerging players

• Aegis Aerospace: Aegis Aerospace owns and operates the MISSE Flight Facility on the exterior of the ISS, providing external materials testing capabilities used by CASIS-facilitated researchers. A technology partner with emerging independent commercial testing capabilities.
• Bigelow Aerospace: Bigelow Aerospace developed inflatable space habitat technology and has publicly explored commercial LEO research station concepts. An adjacent player in the potential post-ISS commercial research infrastructure market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ISS_CASIS
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ISSCASIS
• Facebookfacebook.com/isscasis
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/center-for-the-advancement-of-sc
• Instagraminstagram.com/issnationallab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments9 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Center for the Advancement of Science in Space