Are you mulling an idea to improve the International Space Station? NASA wants to hear your proposal for advancing or improving exploration technologies. You might have a brainstorm on improving the football-field-sized orbiting outpost, or some thoughts on tools to use the station as a springboard to outer space. Learn how to propose an idea at http://go.nasa.gov/Uqkccz (PDF, 300KB). If NASA goes for it, they’ll give you support from the crew and a robot and access to the station’s microgravity environment. Here, in December 2012, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield worked with the Microgravity Science Glovebox onboard ISS, which allows scientists to conduct experiments in space.
The space station is a key tool for extending humanity’s reach beyond low Earth orbit. “This is an opportunity for researchers, inventors and designers to demonstrate a technology needed for future human spaceflights or to improve an existing space station capability," said Andrew Clem at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. They even give you some suggestions on ideas at http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2013/jan/HQ_13-033_ISS_Tech_NRA.html.
