Materials research conducted aboard the International Space Station: Facilities overview, operational procedures, and experimental outcomes

The Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) and Maintenance Work Area (MWA) are facilities aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have been successfully used to conduct experiments in support of, respectively, the Pore Formation and Mobility Investigation (PFMI) and the In-Space Soldering Investigation (ISSI). The capabilities of these facilities are briefly discussed and then demonstrated by presenting “real-time” and subsequently down linked video-taped examples from the abovementioned experiments. Data interpretation, ISS telescience, some lessons learned, and the need of such facilities for conducting work in support of understanding materials' behavior, particularly fluid processing and transport scenarios, in low-gravity environments, is discussed.