MATISS project

About us

2007-11-29T13:38:20Z

MATISS is the European network of Commercial Agents in charge of supporting the European Space Agency (ESA) in promoting the use of International Space Station (ISS) for industrial research in all fields related to materials sciences, chemical processing-related sciences, nanotechnology and combustion research. The network includes international experts in technology transfer, materials research, space science and technology, marketing of new technologies and innovation management. The MATISS network is coordinated by Innova S.p.A. (Italy) and includes the following companies: ISS Lab Ruhr (Germany), Adam Alva Neal (Germany), Bureau BD (The Netherland), D'appolonia (Italy), AGT Engineering (Italy), Centro Sviluppo Materiali (Italy).

One of the most important goals of the ISS is to function as a multidisciplinary research laboratory, exploiting the unique environment offered by space. Onboard the ISS, it is currently possible to perform fundamental science experiments in field ranging from biological to physical sciences. Since more than 3 decades the materials sciences sector has been among the disciplines benefiting the most from the use space conditions (especially microgravity) to obtain information and to investigate phenomena of important industrial relevance. Microgravity studies are also relevant to obtain fundamental information in mass and energy transport phenomena, that are of capital importance in a number of industrial sectors such as oil and gas and the chemical industry.

MATISS at a glance

Why space conditions?

Microgravity environment
Harsh temperature and radiation conditions
Vacuum

Phenomena influenced:

Crystallisation
Emulsions
Nanoparticles formation
Diffusion phenomena
Combustion
Plasma dynamics

Technological fields:

New Materials
Nanotechnology
Combustion technologies
Interfacial mass and energy transport in chemical processes

The European Columbus laboratory has completed its voyage to the International Space Station.

2007-11-29T09:55:51Z

13 February 2008 - Columbus was officially attached to the right side of the Harmony module at 22:44 CET on Monday 11 February. More info and pictures available here

Columbus activation underway

2007-11-29T09:52:58Z

12 February 2008 - The STS-122 and International Space Station crews are busy with tasks to activate the European Columbus laboratory. Attached to the Station during a spacewalk on Monday, Columbus' hatch was opened for the first time at 15:08 CET this morning... (read full article)

German Chancellor Merkel calls ISS

2007-11-29T09:50:42Z

14 February 2008 - "We are proud as Germans and Europeans that we could contribute to the ISS with Columbus. Europe now has a permanent basis for research in space," highlighted German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the beginning of her in-flight call with ESA astronauts Hans Schlegel and Léopold Eyharts in Berlin earlier today... (read full article)

Contacts

2007-11-29T09:40:43Z

Contact persons:

Pier Luigi Franceschini

Tommaso Foglia

INNOVA S.p.A.

Via G. Peroni 386

00131 Rome (Italy)

Phone: +39 06 40040358

Fax: +39 06 40040364

ISSLabRuhr: Michael Massow- massow@iss-lab-ruhr.de BioMedizinZentrum Dortmund-Otto-Hahn-Str. 15-44227 Dortmund-Germany AGT Engineering : Filippo Ugolini- f.ugolini@agtgroup.it Via Vigliena, 10, 00192 Roma-Italy Ph: +39 06 45437023

BureauBD: Sabina Renshof- sabina.renshof@bureaubd.nl Amalialaan 41L-3743 KE Baarn The Netherlands-info@bureaubd.nl Ph: 0031 (0)35 750 2839

D'Appolonia: Riccardo Baglini- riccardo.baglini@dappolonia.it Via San Nazaro 19 16145 Genoa – ITALY Ph: +39.010.3628148

Centro Sviluppo Materiali-Mario Tului-m.tului@c-s-m.it Via di Castel Romano, 100. 00128 Rome-ITALY Ph: +39 06 5055 827

AdamAlvaNeal-Peter Buetfering- buetfering@adamalvaneil.de RuengsdorferStrasse 7 53173 Bonn Germany-Ph:+ 49-(0)2 28 -36 88 6-0

Links

2007-11-29T09:39:11Z

ESA

Columbus Mission

Columbus laboratory

Services

2007-11-29T09:35:57Z

The shift to an industry-driven approach, aimed at the commercial exploitation of the experimental facilities on the ISS, is a challenge to be faced with a completely new and innovative approach. The MATISS network is composed of several professionals with different background, from scientific to business development and technology commercialisation experts.

MATISS Agents assist Private Companies interested in performing experiments onboard the International Space Station, guiding the interested organisation through the different steps:

support to potential customers to the business idea definition: an “idea scouting” approach is pursued, aimed at selecting the best and most original and innovative ideas
definition of technical, ethical and financial aspects
submission of commercial proposal to the Europena Space Agency
support to contractual negotiation

Facilities

2007-11-29T09:09:41Z

The scientific and technological experiments can exploit all the advanced research facilities installed on The European Columbus Laboratory.

For a detailed description of the facilities, please open the links to ESA website reported below.

Fluid Science Laboratory (FSL)

European Physiology Modules (EPM)

Biolab

European Drawer Rack (EDR)

European Transport Carrier (ETC)

European Technology Exposure Facility (EuTEF)

SOLAR