CSS employee owners supporting NASA recently completed an upgrade of a new cold plate for Solidification Using a Baffle in Sealed Ampoules (SUBSA) ground unit. The Cold Plate is a piece of ground support equipment (GSE) that helps control the temperature of the SUBSA furnace for ground testing, similar to the Cold Plate in the Microgravity Science Glovebox (MSG) onboard the International Space Station.

machine (SUBSA) with large holes in the front
SUBSA on the International Space Station
(Credit: NASA)
Diagram of a SUBSA pointing out all the parts including the cold plate at the bottom

Diagram of the SUBSA on the International Space Station. 

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View over a valley with a fog settled between the mountains

Monitoring Air Quality in California’s San Joaquin Valley

CSS employee owners supported the deployment and operation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) air quality monitoring trailer (WEAVE COM – Western Enhanced Air quality VEhicle for COmmunity Monitoring) in California’s San Joaquin Valley in during late fall and early winter of 2024.  Elevated particulate matter (PM2.5) is frequently found throughout the valley during…

stream running through a wooded area

Over 2000 River and Stream Samples Analyzed 

Every five years teams supporting U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Aquatic Resource Survey—consisting of tribal, state, and federal partners—collect samples from over 2000 river and stream reaches throughout the United States. CSS analytical chemists support this effort by processing the samples and then analyzing them for various chemicals to help characterize their water quality.  The…

Fog fills a valley between rolling hills covered with pine and deciduous trees at sunset.

NOAA’s Updated Climate Atlas Tool is Now Live!  

In the fall of 2026, NOAA released the updated Climate Atlas tool. CSS is proud to support the release of this tool, with personnel as key members of the leadership, development, and user engagement teams.   Climate Atlas offers enhanced accessibility and usability for local communities, businesses, industries, and decision-makers. Reliable climate data underpins strategic planning,…