Is the purpose of this Challenge to support basic research or to support commercialization efforts?
Through this Challenge, Rhodium Scientific and TechConnect hope to catalyze your efforts to bring new biotech innovations to market. Respondents should be working towards a biotechnology-based product that could eventually be commercialized.
When and where will the launch take place?
While the exact launch date and time will be dependent on a number of different factors, including the weather, Rhodium is currently anticipating launching the winner’s research in late 2025 from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Can my proposed experiment be exposed to vacuum or radiation while onboard the International Space Station (ISS)?
No. The winning research will be housed within the ISS inside a mid-deck locker space. There will be no opportunity to expose samples to vacuum or radiation.
Is this Challenge open to researchers outside the United States of America?
Rhodium and TechConnect welcome responses from international individuals and teams.
Will you require finalists to sign a mutual non-disclosure agreement (MNDA) with Rhodium Scientific?
Yes. To facilitate training and assessments provided by Rhodium Scientific, we will require all individuals recognized as finalists to sign a MNDA.
What kinds of assessments and training will finalists receive?
Rhodium Scientific will provide finalists with pre-flight planning and testing assessments, training on compliance with NASA safety protocols and more. For additional service details, please consult Rhodium Scientific.
What kind of information is Rhodium Scientific looking for in a positively rated response?
The submission should present a high-level, non-confidential summary of your proposed research: what you aim to do, why access to microgravity is beneficial, and how you plan to use the results of that access to further your commercialization efforts. Present compelling details about the problem addressed by the research and the potential impact of your solution.
Do I need to indicate exactly what equipment my experiment will need while aboard the ISS?
In most cases, no: as part of its pre-flight assessments, Rhodium Scientific will work with finalists to determine what equipment is necessary to complete the on-orbit experiment. However, you are strongly urged to consider how to automate as much of your experiment as possible. Indicating how you have automated your experiment could be a compelling pathway to demonstrate the readiness of your research.
Will ISS astronauts be available to interact with my experiment?
Yes, astronauts will be able to interact with your experiment, if needed. However, as the astronauts have other obligations while on-station, their interaction with your experiment will be capped at one (1) hour total. It is highly recommended that proposed experiments utilize automation as much as possible due to this constraint.
Can you describe the two stages of the response process?
The first online response form is due by September 13, 2024 at 8pm ET. This initial response provides some high-level information about your proposed experiment. We will not accept late submissions. TechConnect and Rhodium Scientific will evaluate all eligible initial submissions and will invite the most compelling respondents to share additional detail via a second online response form. Only those invited to provide further information will receive a link to the second response form. All secondary submissions are due by September 26, 2024 at 8pm ET. We will not accept late submissions. Respondents who do not provided the requested additional information are not eligible for finalist status.