Lexington might seem a long way from NASA headquarters, but technology nurtured in Central Kentucky is already having an impact on International Space Station research. And more is on the way thanks to a grant from the Kentucky Economic Development Authority.
With the extra $84,000, the Kentucky Science and Technology Corp. plans on opening a new Space Lab in Lexington.
"Most people don't realize there's actually quite a bit of emerging space-related research technology and companies that are growing up around here," corporation head Kris Kimel observes.
Kimel says the offshoot of Kentucky Space will continue developing what are called CubeSats, or miniature satellites used for space research.
"They're about the size of a square Kleenex box and they have come about really in the last five or six, seven years through the miniaturization of technology," he explains. "And those small spacecraft are now being launched and used all around the world. They're very small, modest cost, but very high value."
Also under the same umbrella will be an Exomedicine Lab focused on biomedical research. Kimel says conditions in space effectively scramble physical processes, allowing researchers to test new treatments and bioengineering efforts that could wind up traveling from the ISS all the way to your local pharmacy.
