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What could we salvage from the International Space Station? In the near future, the International Space Station is scheduled to be deorbited: a Super Dragon spacecraft with 46 Draco engines will guide the huge structure into a final descent through a clear corridor over the Pacific Ocean, the most remote stretch of open water on Earth. Almost every part of the International Space Station will burn up or end up at the bottom of this spacecraft graveyard. But we have the opportunity to save some things before that happens. Just before the spacecraft arrives for deorbiting, another module will attach to the lower part of the International Space Station. This is the first module of the Axiom space station.
This is the only private company allowed to dock with the ISS before it is deorbited. And this gives us a great opportunity to retrieve some valuable objects from inside the ISS. The question is, what are the most valuable objects we could actually save? So I headed to Axiom's headquarters in Houston and asked everyone I could, and this is what they said. There's probably something you want to take with you. What, what, what would be most valuable? There is a long list of things we want to take with us, but I can't go into details.
Really? Yes. Can I make my own assumptions? Uh, yes, of course. I mean. So, with permission to think, let's do this. Of all the experiments and equipment on the ISS, what is the most valuable? Let's find out with some educated guesses and my access to space CEOs to pester them with questions. So, this is an interesting task. It's almost like space piracy: plundering a ship before it sinks, searching for the most valuable loot in a limited time. The first thing that comes to mind is huge, deployable solar panels. Six of them were installed between 2021 and 2023. So they're not even that old yet. And they provide 120 kilowatts of energy. This is a solid amount of energy to launch a new station. So I
asked Axiom's VP of Engineering, Aaron Tolas, if we could use them. Okay, cool. Yes. So, um, yeah, we're actually planning on using these ROSA solar panels that were made by Redwire. Um, you know, the ISS now has its own solar farm, and, you know, with all the developments in renewable energy, we've obviously made significant improvements in efficiency. So, the ISS is undergoing an upgrade of its solar capabilities with the so- called ISS Deployable Solar Arrays, or ROSA. Um, Axiom will be using a similar version of this at our station to provide power. So, would it be possible to simply disconnect the current panels and use them on your station, because even though they
lose a bit of efficiency over time, it would probably be beneficial to keep some of the energy infrastructure for your station? Yeah, I think it's theoretically possible, but I think it would require spacewalks for astronauts to go out onto the farm and, you know, work with the equipment to make it happen. And spacewalks are very expensive and very dangerous, so it would be a matter of negotiation between Axiom and NASA if we were going to do something like that I didn't even think about the number of man- hours it would take in orbit to disconnect it all. It would take you thousands of hours to do all this and rewire the
equipment. Yes, and considering the ISS, I think crew time is one of the most valuable resources, so we need to use it wisely, because there is a cost to this time compared to the cost of delivering cargo into space. So there is a certain trade-off that you have to weigh. So in some respects it makes more sense to just ship a whole new module, already pre-equipped, or have your own logistics scheme for installing them. How do you optimize this process? Um, yes, our solar panels are already being launched in place, right? And they are launched, so to speak, at the front end of the module.
They are attached to a robotic manipulator with four degrees of freedom. So once we're in orbit, we can release the tethers that hold them in place. We can deploy them, and then we have a large range of motion to direct these solar panels and ensure that they are always configured most efficiently to generate electricity. So, unfortunately, I think the iconic solar panels that make the ISS visible from Earth will deorbit with the station. But what about the Canadarm? When I spoke with Scott Parazynski, he told amazing stories about hanging on the end of a manipulator trying to repair the far corners of solar panels. This thing can
move independently outside the ISS. There is no need to go into outer space. I went to the shoot at Axiom thinking: of course this amazing robot won't burn up. But when I first asked Aaron about it, the reaction was pretty cold. Is there anything specific you are allowed to talk about, like the Canadarm? You definitely don't want to deorbit the Canadarm. He is too useful. Are we literally going to dump this thing into the Pacific Ocean along with what? $100 billion worth of equipment? There must be something you want to take with you.
What, what, what would be most valuable? There is a long list of things we want to take with us, but I can't divulge the details. Let 's go back to assumptions. Unfortunately, the reasons why the Canadarm is so useful are the very reasons why it is not needed on the new Axiom space station. On the ISS, the Canadarm was designed to grab modules and connect them together. Axiom is making its station more flexible by designing modules with their own propulsion system. There is no need for a manipulator when modules can be connected and disconnected independently. The manipulator was essential for spacewalks and repairs, and Axiom has no plans to conduct extravehicular activities anytime soon, as
their airlock won't be available for the next 5 years. By then, the final nail in the coffin of the Canadarm will appear. In our interview, Aaron told me this. And then we'll put the robotic manipulator into operation, everyone will have their own manipulator, and we'll reconfigure the PPTM into this two-module configuration. At this point, we will have what could be considered our initial operational capability for the Axiom station. Now we have the opportunity to conduct research and experiments. I asked Axiom if they could give me a hint as to what they wanted to keep, but the space industry is known for its secrecy. So I used my time on a panel at the Astro Awards to try to get answers from other space company executives.
There will be a company that will have the ability to attach to the current International Space Station, and the ISS operates on standardized racks that you insert on the side, and there it forms a square tunnel. We will have a very limited period of time where some commercial company might be able to extract some of these modules. And that immediately leads me to ask: what is the most valuable thing about the International Space Station? Is this semiconductor manufacturing? Is this cancer research? Is this biology? Uh, well, like everything that happens there, all the research that's being done there.
What racks are we removing? Yes, we actually studied it. And one of the things I can say is that a lot of this equipment is actually quite old. There are some new things that have gone there recently, but overall it's pretty old. And while you can remove it and move it to another station, the cost of creating an updated version is almost always more cost-effective. So, for things like that, you want to continue the research, you definitely want them to move to new stations. Uh, and we actually studied it . There are perhaps one or two experiments that you don't want to interrupt to maintain the longevity of microgravity. I think more interesting are life support systems and things like that, which are extremely expensive but proven and well-known.
These are the kinds of things that might be more interesting to remove. This is logical. This gives us a solid starting point. The Axiom pressurized modules are built by Thales Alenia Space at the same factory in Turin where Raffaello, one of the older Italian ISS cargo modules, was built. When I was there, I got to see the module, and they are designing the station around the same universal docking mechanism that the ISS uses. So, they can dock to the bottom of the ISS, but those openings have limited space for carrying equipment. Fortunately, all the equipment racks on the ISS are designed to pass through them. According to the current plan, the first module is scheduled to dock with the space station in early 2027, and it will arrive with eight empty slots for
equipment racks. This is what one of these slots looks like. A metal frame, approximately 2 m high, a little less than a meter wide, and about a meter deep. The front opens to access the experiment inside, while the back connects directly to the station. These connectors can be used for water, power, or gas. During our interview, we saw such a stand, and Aaron explained how they use it. Yes, this is the ISPR or ISS Standard Payload Rack. Um, in something like the MPLM or on the current International Space Station, this is the form factor that almost all the equipment used on the space station is packaged into.
So you could build a whole system in a rack like that. For example, a CO2 scrubber or a water processor. You can package this into an MPLM and then move the entire finished system to the space station. This significantly reduces the amount of in- orbit equipment work you will have to do. This can also be used as a cargo rack: if I have an experiment, I can package it into this generic form factor and just install it, and it will provide all the necessary communications, like power, cooling, and data transfer. For the Axiom station, since our first module-PPTM, which is the Power, Payload, and Thermal Management Module -will be going to the ISS, we are using this form factor in the first module.
This gives us the opportunity, while on the ISS, to potentially take any equipment that may not be needed in the future when the station starts to be dismantled from orbit and give those devices a second life, right? To allow them to continue working at the Axiom station. I think I've gathered enough information to make educated guesses about which racks are the most valuable. Let's start with the life support system. On the American segment of the ISS, it is already divided into three racks. One is responsible for oxygen production, the other two for water regeneration. When the CEO of Starlab mentioned the usefulness of these racks, I imagined them simply being disconnected and transported. But after talking to Axiom,
it turned out that this plan wasn't working. According to their plan, the power and thermal control module will undock three years before the ISS leaves orbit. You can't just pull out the oxygen system and leave the station without air. In addition , the Axiom power module will not be manned, so it does not need a life support system yet. But there may be a "gatherer's way " to get around this. Near the very end of the ISS's operation, NASA plans to test a new oxygen production system, built on 25 years of experience operating the old one. Oxygen is fed directly into the cabin, while hydrogen is vented overboard or directed into a Sabatier reactor, where it combines with CO2 to produce even more water. Now the
cell block, separator, valves, and sensors are hermetically sealed in a single vacuum dome, packed so tightly that the crew can't reach anything in there. If one component fails, the entire dome has to be replaced. The new design divides this into two separate domes: one around the cell stack and the other around the separator. So if one part fails, another can be replaced in orbit, instead of throwing away the entire structure. I found a key detail in their project requirements that suggested this part would be redundant. It says: "In less than 2 days, the ISS can return to its original operating system if something goes wrong." And, importantly, this thing should be lightweight, portable, and capable of
long standby times. This is actually the perfect profile for what Axiom needs. The trick is timing. NASA wants to operate the system for at least 3 years before handover, and the Axiom undocking schedule doesn't leave much room for maneuver. I suppose this is the first of the eight pillars, but what about scientific research? We can start with the ISS reference guide. It contains a list of about 35 racks that support scientific work at the station. There are a few experiments that caught my attention and that I am voting to keep. The first is crystals in microgravity. One of the main advantages of the space station is the incredibly unique free-fall situation.
The only places on Earth that come close to this are weightless training planes and drop towers, but they only give a few seconds of free fall. But why is this even important? You may have heard about Moderna's new cancer vaccine, which doubled their stock overnight. But if you dig deeper, you will see a special antibody-based drug-Keytruda. It is an immunotherapeutic agent used to treat over 20 types of cancer. But when it is synthesized here on Earth, it forms lumps of uneven size. This makes the drug too viscous for injection. Therefore, it is usually administered through hourly droppers. But in space, the crystals that make it up grow much more evenly. Therefore, batches of Keytruda manufactured in space
could be converted into simple subcutaneous injections. Keytruda is not the only such case. 16 studies are planned and there is an active partnership with Eli Lilly. This is a great opportunity for Axiom to profit-medicines made in space. There are several manual crystal growing experiments on the ISS, but looking at our list of potential racks, one can be found in the Japanese module dedicated to growing protein crystals. This would be one of my top picks for maintaining a full rack. There are two racks, six in front. Other manufacturing processes can also benefit from weightlessness. When 3D printing biological tissues on Earth, complex structures collapse under their own weight. So, you need a frame to keep it in
shape. In microgravity, structures simply float. The Redwire bioprinter has already printed a human knee meniscus in orbit, and in May 2024, living human heart tissue that survived the return to Earth. Redwire also created the first plastic 3D printer, which arrived at the station in 2014. If you can manufacture a spare part in orbit, you don't have to ship it from Earth. Since then, he has manufactured hundreds of parts and tools on request in orbit. Axiom and Redwire are already collaborating on the space station's solar panels, and the opportunity to build your own instruments in orbit is too valuable to pass up. Both of these printers take up half a rack, leaving five full racks left. Axiom wants to start
sending people into space. They have already carried out several missions to the ISS, but space is not a very friendly environment for the human body. Bones break down, vision deteriorates, and muscles atrophy. The constant presence of people requires a way to monitor their bodies. This is what the Human Research Facility is designed for. Two full racks filled with mass spectrometer, ultrasound, strength testing equipment, and a breathalyzer. Here, astronauts measure their mass to monitor their health. In the weightlessness of space, mass is measured through inertia, not weight. The astronaut rests against a spring-loaded lever that pushes him with a known calibrated force. While the optical sensor accurately measures how fast
it flies away from it. These stands were the reason why twin research became possible at all. Axiom crews will spend more time in orbit than ever during rotations on the ISS. These two racks are ideal tools for proper crew monitoring. This adds two more racks, leaving three to fill. In 2015, astronauts ate vegetables grown in space for the first time. It was red romaine lettuce grown under the lights in the station's chamber. Since then, the list has been expanded to include radishes, kale, mustard greens, Chinese cabbage, tomatoes, and chili peppers. The current greenhouse operates completely autonomously, with 180 sensors monitoring light, temperature, humidity and CO2, supporting a growth cycle of up to 135 days. It only takes up half a rack, but while researching
this, I found another great experiment to pair with it. This is Ohalo 3. It will go to the ISS this year, so it is a completely new development. It is designed to test growing food during deep space flights, such as during a trip to Mars. It also fits on the other half of the rack. It is brand new and ready to produce food in space. If that's not the perfect treasure, then I don't know what is. This is another full rack ready, two left. I think we accomplished the main tasks: ensuring the survival of people in space and the financial sustainability of the station. But with two free spots, I hope to see interesting scientific projects that can only be implemented in microgravity. However, I found
myself overthinking things, and it was difficult to choose which experiments to leave behind. There is a Cold Atom Laboratory to study Bose- Einstein condensates, which will help create atomic clocks. There is an experiment called "Organ on a Chip ", designed to study human physiology using organ models on plastic chips. The electrostatic levitation furnace is used to study materials at extreme temperatures. Or we could choose the Fiber Optic Cable Manufacturing Laboratory . And there are so many others. So instead of just listing them, I'll redirect this question to you. What do you think should be saved for these last two spots? I'll take the two comments with the most votes and share them in next week's community post
. The ISS is testing a lot of cutting-edge technology, and just last month I visited NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland to interview engineers building the next lunar base, including a nuclear power system for the surface and the SR-1 Freedom spacecraft with a nuclear-powered ion engine for missions to Mars. I'll be uploading these videos in the coming months, along with a piece for the January issue of IEEE Spectrum on the biggest technological breakthroughs we can expect in 2027, including one technology I saw at NASA's Radio Frequency Laboratory that I think could change the world. You can subscribe to the excellent print magazine IEEE Spectrum right now for just $5 per month using the QR code on your screen or by visiting
spectrum.ieee.org/realengineeringfall. They also have a cheaper offer for the digital-only version. With my link, you will receive a 20% discount, so subscribing to beautifully illustrated magazines filled with cutting-edge science journalism will become even more affordable. And with the holidays approaching, it's a great gift for the engineering geek in your life, or maybe it means giving yourself a gift. IEEE Spectrum is a magazine published by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and I have been a subscriber to it for many years. So I was incredibly happy when they approached me to become a sponsor of the channel. In a world of hype and bubbles, Spectrum is one of the few resources I trust for reporting
clear technical science journalism. This helps me stay up to date with the latest technology for the channel, and also helps me a lot with how I invest my savings. Everyone loves investing in high-tech, fast- growing stocks, and being ahead of everyone else in where the real breakthroughs are happening can give you a slight edge, plus it's really great stuff. I really enjoyed this article about the transformation of New Delhi's power grid, written by Mini Shaji Thomas, a professor of electrical engineering at the University of New Delhi. This is not the general public magazine you see on store shelves. By subscribing, you become part of a global community of the most experienced engineers on the
planet. Sure, they have a digital subscription, but holding a printed magazine in your hands is a whole different matter. It's tactile, it's collectible, but most importantly for me, it's free from the constant notifications and distractions inherent in online work. Morning coffee and gradually entering a new day without screens and distractions, with a magazine or book in hand-this is my favorite way to tune my brain to productive work.
