Polar is a research refrigerator designed and developed by
University of Alabama at Birmingham
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is a public research university in Birmingham, Alabama, United States. Founded in 1969 and part of the University of Alabama System, UAB has grown to be the state's largest employer, with more than ...
(UAB) Center for Biophysical Sciences and Engineering (CBSE) for
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
Cold Stowage. Polar was designed as a single mid-deck locker equivalent
payload
Payload is the object or the entity that is being carried by an aircraft or launch vehicle. Sometimes payload also refers to the carrying capacity of an aircraft or launch vehicle, usually measured in terms of weight. Depending on the nature of t ...
to store scientific samples on-board
ISS
The International Space Station (ISS) is a large space station that was assembled and is maintained in low Earth orbit by a collaboration of five space agencies and their contractors: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), ESA (Europe), ...
and in transport to/from
ISS
The International Space Station (ISS) is a large space station that was assembled and is maintained in low Earth orbit by a collaboration of five space agencies and their contractors: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), ESA (Europe), ...
via
SpaceX Dragon
Dragon is a family of spacecraft developed and produced by American private space transportation company SpaceX.
The first variant, later named SpaceX Dragon 1, Dragon 1, flew 23 cargo missions to the International Space Station (ISS) between ...
or
Cygnus spacecraft
Cygnus is an Expendable launch system, expendable American Uncrewed spacecraft, automated cargo spacecraft designed for International Space Station (ISS) resupply missions. It was initially developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation with financia ...
. Polar operates between .
Description
* Polar is mounted in the
ISS
The International Space Station (ISS) is a large space station that was assembled and is maintained in low Earth orbit by a collaboration of five space agencies and their contractors: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), ESA (Europe), ...
on the
EXpedite the PRocessing of Experiments to Space Station (EXPRESS) rack.
* Polar can maintain temperatures ranging from .
* Polar is
air-cooled
Air-cooled engines rely on the circulation of air directly over heat dissipation fins or hot areas of the engine to cool them in order to keep the engine within operating temperatures. Air-cooled designs are far simpler than their liquid-cooled ...
via rear-air fan.
Additional Cold Stowage
Polar is one of multiple units available for storage on the
ISS
The International Space Station (ISS) is a large space station that was assembled and is maintained in low Earth orbit by a collaboration of five space agencies and their contractors: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), ESA (Europe), ...
and/or transportation to and from the
ISS
The International Space Station (ISS) is a large space station that was assembled and is maintained in low Earth orbit by a collaboration of five space agencies and their contractors: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), ESA (Europe), ...
. Others include:
*
Minus Eighty Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS
The Minus Eighty-Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI) is a European-built experiment storage freezer for the International Space Station. It comprises four independent Dewar flask, dewars, which can be set to operate at different temperatures. ...
(MELFI)
**
*
MERLIN (Microgravity Experiment Research Locker/ Incubator)
Microgravity Experiment Research Locker/Incubator (MERLIN) was designed by University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Center for Biophysical Sciences and Engineering (CBSE) to operate as a hardmounted, single middeck locker equivalent within the ISS ...
**
*
GLACIER (General Laboratory Active Cryogenic ISS Experiment Refrigerator)
**
See also
*
Scientific research on the ISS
Science is a systematic discipline that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable hypotheses and predictions about the universe. Modern science is typically divided into twoor threemajor branches: the natural sciences, which stu ...
*
International Space Station
The International Space Station (ISS) is a large space station that was Assembly of the International Space Station, assembled and is maintained in low Earth orbit by a collaboration of five space agencies and their contractors: NASA (United ...
*
SpaceX Dragon
Dragon is a family of spacecraft developed and produced by American private space transportation company SpaceX.
The first variant, later named SpaceX Dragon 1, Dragon 1, flew 23 cargo missions to the International Space Station (ISS) between ...
References
{{Reflist
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Cooling technology
Space technology