- CSS News
- Space Science Application Support & Operations
International Space Station Research and Development Conference
CSS recently attended the International Space Station Research and Development Conference in Boston, Massachusetts. This conference is a gathering of professionals conducting research and developing technology in the microgravity environment of space. CSS was a gold sponsor for the conference and co-hosted a session entitled Payload Pandemonium along with the director of payload operations for the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory, and the NASA manager of the ISS Research Integration Office. The hosts led participants through (probably the first ever) payload operations game, which helped the audience understand payload procedures, timeline, and contingencies. Participants played for a chance to win a bottle of Zero Gravity wine from Michael David Winery, wine that was made using isolated yeast from grape juice launched into space and fermented in the microgravity environment. The audience was excited and engaged in the game.
Throughout the conference CSS senior management met with potential partners, attended sessions, and networked with space scientists and colleagues.


For 25 years CSS has supported space science research and technology and continues to grow the science portfolio. As CSS continues to expand the space division, this conference was the optimal way for CSS to make connections as well as build and foster partnerships.

See More CSS Insights
Supporting the Mississippi River Basin Drought and Water Dashboard Development
Congratulations to NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) on the launch of the Mississippi River Basin Drought and Water Dashboard. This dashboard provides crucial, timely information to support decision-making for those living and working in the basin, which spans 31 states and 40 percent of the contiguous U.S. The team created the dashboard to…
Remediating Soil Surrounding Abandoned Mines
CSS employees have been providing field, lab, and horticultural support for the Environmental Protection Agency’s efforts to develop and test methods for the remediation and revegetation of contaminated soils around selected abandoned mines in the western United States. One of the promising approaches is to incorporate biochar into the soil. Using biochar helps effectively adsorb trace metals and reduce their…
Large-Scale Decontamination Proves Successful
In the spring of 2022, we worked with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard on a project called Analysis for Coastal Operational Resiliency-Wide Area Demonstration (WAD) which tests large scale decontamination following the release of surrogate bioagents. The team conducted a WAD at a military base in Virginia to test decontamination…
