Page 39 - International Space Station Benefits for Humanity, 3rd edition.

Summation Valuation Findings

Taken as a whole, the examples presented throughout this section illustrate the many pathways
that are possible for the generation of value from the conduct of research and technology
development activities in low-Earth orbit (LEO). Even the procurement mechanisms employed
can be tailored to maximize the transfer of expertise needed to confidently conduct business
in space and encourage economic development.
In the table that follows, examples are provided for the humankind and economic benefits generated
by the International Space Station (ISS). Navigant Consulting, Inc. findings were the primary source
for these value examples, with the exception of two cases. Details for Amgen and Tropical Cyclone
were already available and therefore not assigned to Navigant for analysis. When practical and
useful, details of the findings were further vetted through the international partners and commercial
entities associated.
The second table provides descriptions of the commercial research facilities on the ISS. The majority
of these facilities (14/15) entered service after the assembly of the space station was completed
in 2011, with more than half (8/15) coming on-line in the 1.5 years leading up to this publication
(2017-2018). Thus, it is important to remember that the cases presented derived from research
activities are early-return benefits. As more time passes, and research efforts continue unabated,
the number and value of the benefits returned to Earth will continue to grow.

Findings and Providers
The Summaries of Valuation Findings table starting
on the next page summarizes the valuation findings
available to the authors. The findings presented
show how value is derived not only from the
planned research, but also from the engineering
accomplishments and technology required to
operate the space station, perform research, and
maintain a safe living environment for the crew.
The ISS Commercial Research Providers table lists
some of the key commercially managed research
facilities onboard the space station. Information
provided indicates the year of operational start-
up as well as a brief description of the facility
capabilities. A quick perusal of this table illustrates
that commercially managed facilities are a recent
development, with the first such facility beginning
operations in 2010. Also, the fact that three of these
facilities came on line in the first half of 2018, literally
as this section was being drafted, accurately portrays
the ongoing proliferation of such facilities over the
next several years.

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