Cape​ ​Canaveral,​ ​FL,​ ​December​ ​6,​ ​2017​ ​–​ ​Next​ ​week,​ ​Made​ ​In​ ​Space,​ ​Inc.​ ​(MIS)​ ​will​ ​send​ ​its​ ​third manufacturing​ ​device​ ​to​ ​the​ ​International​ ​Space​ ​Station​ ​since​ ​2014,​ ​a​ ​landmark​ ​achievement the​ ​company​ ​hopes​ ​will​ ​usher​ ​in​ ​a​ ​new​ ​wave​ ​of​ ​commercial​ ​in-space​ ​manufacturing.​ ​The payload​ ​–​ ​named​ ​Made​ ​In​ ​Space​ ​Fiber​ ​Optics​ ​–​ ​will​ ​launch​ ​on​ ​SpaceX’s​ ​CRS-13.​ ​Once​ ​installed on​ ​the​ ​International​ ​Space​ ​Station​ ​(ISS),​ ​the​ ​device​ ​will​ ​manufacture​ ​ZBLAN​ ​optical​ ​fiber​ ​for several​ ​weeks​ ​before​ ​returning​ ​to​ ​Earth​ ​for​ ​materials​ ​evaluation​ ​and​ ​testing​ ​prior​ ​to​ ​final delivery​ ​to​ ​partners​ ​and​ ​customers.

MIS​ ​has​ ​been​ ​working​ ​with​ ​the​ ​Center​ ​For​ ​Advancement​ ​of​ ​Science​ ​In​ ​Space​ ​(CASIS)​ ​for​ ​the past​ ​few​ ​years​ ​to​ ​install​ ​a​ ​FIber​ ​Optics​ ​device​ ​on​ ​the​ ​ISS​ ​National​ ​Laboratory​ ​to​ ​demonstrate ZBLAN​ ​production.​ ​The​ ​technology​ ​was​ ​developed​ ​in​ ​partnership​ ​with​ ​Thorlabs,​ ​who​ ​will provide​ ​the​ ​raw​ ​material​ ​preforms​ ​for​ ​the​ ​optical​ ​fiber.​ ​​​Additionally,​ ​Space​ ​Florida​ ​facilitated financing​ ​to​ ​Made​ ​In​ ​Space​ ​in​ ​support​ ​of​ ​fiber​ ​optics​ ​research​ ​and​ ​development.

“We​ ​believe​ ​Fiber​ ​Optics​ ​is​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​best​ ​terrestrial​ ​use-cases​ ​for​ ​a​ ​space-enabled​ ​material,” said​ ​Andrew​ ​Rush,​ ​President​ ​&​ ​CEO​ ​of​ ​Made​ ​In​ ​Space,​ ​Inc.​ ​“ZBLAN​ ​optical​ ​fiber​ ​has​ ​the potential​ ​to​ ​serve​ ​as​ ​the​ ​first​ ​product​ ​created​ ​in​ ​space​ ​on​ ​an​ ​industrial​ ​scale.​ ​With​ ​great​ ​support from​ ​Thorlabs,​ ​Space​ ​Florida,​ ​and​ ​working​ ​with​ ​CASIS​ ​for​ ​access​ ​to​ ​the​ ​ISS​ ​National​ ​Lab,​ ​we’re confident​ ​that​ ​this​ ​device​ ​will​ ​manufacture​ ​an​ ​optical​ ​fiber​ ​that’s​ ​superior​ ​to​ ​current terrestrially-produced​ ​versions.”

MIS​ ​expects​ ​that​ ​manufacturing​ ​this​ ​material​ ​in​ ​a​ ​microgravity​ ​environment​ ​will​ ​provide significant​ ​quality​ ​improvements​ ​over​ ​versions​ ​produced​ ​on​ ​Earth.​ ​When​ ​this​ ​optical​ ​fiber​ ​is created​ ​on​ ​Earth,​ ​small​ ​crystals​ ​form​ ​in​ ​the​ ​material​ ​which​ ​increase​ ​signal​ ​loss.​ ​In transcontinental​ ​telecommunication​ ​lines,​ ​expensive​ ​repeaters​ ​have​ ​to​ ​be​ ​installed​ ​to​ ​make​ ​up for​ ​lost​ ​signal.​ ​An​ ​optical​ ​fiber​ ​without​ ​these​ ​crystals​ ​would​ ​improve​ ​transmission​ ​efficiency, reducing​ ​the​ ​need​ ​for​ ​expensive​ ​repeaters.​ ​ZBLAN​ ​optical​ ​fiber​ ​could​ ​also​ ​be​ ​used​ ​in​ ​medical lasers​ ​and​ ​for​ ​various​ ​defense​ ​applications.

About​ ​Made​ ​In​ ​Space:
Made​ ​In​ ​Space,​ ​Inc.​ ​(MIS)​ ​is​ ​the​ ​world’s​ ​most​ ​experienced​ ​space​ ​manufacturing​ ​company. Established​ ​in​ ​2010​ ​and​ ​with​ ​offices​ ​in​ ​Florida,​ ​California,​ ​Alabama​ ​and​ ​Ohio,​ ​MIS​ ​leverages​ ​the unique​ ​properties​ ​of​ ​the​ ​space​ ​environment​ ​to​ ​develop​ ​manufacturing​ ​solutions​ ​to​ ​commercial, industrial,​ ​research​ ​and​ ​defense​ ​challenges.​ ​The​ ​company’s​ ​vision​ ​is​ ​to​ ​enable​ ​the​ ​future​ ​of space​ ​exploration​ ​by​ ​offering​ ​off-Earth​ ​manufacturing​ ​capabilities.​ ​For​ ​more​ ​information​ ​about MIS,​ ​visit​​ ​​www.madeinspace.us​.

About​ ​CASIS:
The​ ​Center​ ​for​ ​Advancement​ ​of​ ​Science​ ​in​ ​Space​ ​(CASIS)​ ​is​ ​the​ ​non-profit​ ​organization​ ​selected to​ ​manage​ ​the​ ​ISS​ ​National​ ​Laboratory​ ​with​ ​a​ ​focus​ ​on​ ​enabling​ ​a​ ​new​ ​era​ ​of​ ​space​ ​research​ ​to improve​ ​life​ ​on​ ​Earth.​ ​In​ ​this​ ​innovative​ ​role,​ ​CASIS​ ​promotes​ ​and​ ​brokers​ ​a​ ​diverse​ ​range​ ​of research​ ​in​ ​life​ ​sciences,​ ​physical​ ​sciences,​ ​remote​ ​sensing,​ ​technology​ ​development,​ ​and education.

About​ ​Space​ ​Florida:
Space​ ​Florida​ ​was​ ​created​ ​to​ ​strengthen​ ​Florida’s​ ​position​ ​as​ ​the​ ​global​ ​leader​ ​in​ ​aerospace research,​ ​investment,​ ​exploration​ ​and​ ​commerce.​ ​As​ ​Florida’s​ ​aerospace​ ​and​ ​spaceport development​ ​authority,​ ​we​ ​are​ ​committed​ ​to​ ​attracting​ ​and​ ​expanding​ ​the​ ​next​ ​generation​ ​of space​ ​industry​ ​businesses.​ ​With​ ​its​ ​highly​ ​trained​ ​workforce,​ ​proven​ ​infrastructure​ ​and unparalleled​ ​record​ ​of​ ​achievement,​ ​Florida​ ​is​ ​the​ ​ideal​ ​location​ ​for​ ​aerospace​ ​businesses​ ​to thrive​ ​–​ ​and​ ​Space​ ​Florida​ ​is​ ​the​ ​perfect​ ​partner​ ​to​ ​help​ ​them​ ​succeed.​​ ​​www.spaceflorida.gov

Contact:
Bryan​ ​Culbert Communications​
Manager media@madeinspace.us

Harrison​ ​Pitman
Communications​ ​Strategist
media@madeinspace.us