Knowing What We Are Getting: Evaluating Scientific Research on the International Space Station*

William Bianco and Eric Schmidt

Social Science Quarterly, 2017, vol. 98, issue 4, 1151-1159

Abstract: The debate over the value of the International Space Station has overlooked a fundamental question: What is the station's contribution to scientific knowledge? We address this question using a multivariate analysis of publication and patent data from station experiments. We find a relatively high probability that ISS experiments with PIs drawn from outside NASA will yield refereed publications and, furthermore, that these experiments have nonnegligible probabilities of finding publication in high†impact journals or producing government patents. However, technology demonstrations and experiments with all†NASA PIs have much weaker track records. These results highlight the complexities inherent to constructing a compelling case for science onboard the ISS or for crewed spaceflight in general.

Date: 2017
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