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2024 ISS National Lab Annual Report Highlights Momentum in Space-Based R&D

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ISS National Lab Delivers More Than 100 Payloads to Laboratory in Low Earth Orbit and Expands Resources to Dozens of First-Time Space Researchers

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., Jan. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory highlighted the rapid growth of space-based R&D in its annual report, released today by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space® (CASIS®). Over the past fiscal year, the ISS National Lab sponsored more than 100 payloads delivered to the orbiting laboratory—the second-highest annual total to date. Also during this fiscal year, nearly three-quarters of newly-selected projects sponsored for flight were from first-time space users, highlighting the success of the ISS National Lab in engaging new research communities.

Since 2011, CASIS has managed the ISS National Lab under a Cooperative Agreement with NASA, enabling access to the space station to benefit humanity and stimulate a thriving low Earth orbit (LEO) economy. This partnership with NASA supports the ISS National Lab’s mission to advance space-based R&D, foster a sustainable market economy in space, and pave the way for future commercial LEO destinations (CLDs). The ISS National Lab’s annual report for fiscal year 2024 (October 1, 2023-September 30, 2024) showcases the progress toward these goals.

Below are a few notable accomplishments from FY24:

Of the 103 ISS National Lab-sponsored payloads launched to the space station, 80 percent were from commercial entities, indicating a continued strong interest from private industry to conduct R&D in space.Nearly 75 percent of newly selected projects in FY24 were from new-to-space users, highlighting the success of ISS National Lab solicitations in attracting new research communities. Of the 31 selected projects, more than half were through ISS National Lab Research Announcements (NLRAs) in the strategic focus areas of technology development, in-space production applications (tissue engineering and biomanufacturing), and workforce development.More than 50 peer-reviewed articles related to ISS National Lab research—the most identified in a single fiscal year—were published in FY24, bringing the all-time total to nearly 450. Two-thirds of these papers were related to projects funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).An NIH-funded project resulted in a patent filed for a muscle tissue chip system, and an ISS National Lab-sponsored educational project led to a new product: a space station model kit for educators and students.Nearly $25 million in external, non-NASA funding was committed in support of ISS National Lab-sponsored projects, with almost half from academic and nonprofit institutions—underscoring the value they find in space-based R&D.The ISS National Lab allocated significant funding to the inaugural Igniting Innovation solicitation, in partnership with NASA’s Biological and Physical Sciences Division. The solicitation offered $7 million to five selected multiflight projects to advance critical cancer research. Most were from academic and nonprofit institutions that matched funding 1:1.Despite challenging market conditions, startups secured nearly $147 million in funding after the flight of ISS National Lab-sponsored projects, bringing the cumulative total to $2.2 billion.Subscribership nearly doubled for Upward, official magazine of ISS National Lab, while the Space Station Spotlight newsletter, which launched in FY23, added 1,100 new subscribers in FY24. Both boosted awareness of ISS National Lab activities and R&D results, while a redesigned website doubled page views by creating clearer engagement pathways.This year, the ISS National Lab prioritized workforce development and STEM career readiness, launching activities to equip students with essential skills. A new corporate donor pledged funding to support these education initiatives over the next three years.

“I am incredibly proud of what we achieved this year,” said Ramon Lugo, principal investigator and chief executive officer of CASIS. “As we continue to work hand in hand with NASA, our strong partnership has allowed us to push the limits of what we can accomplish.”

The FY24 Annual Report is now available online. To read about additional ISS National Lab-sponsored research that has launched to the space station, visit our website.

Download a high-resolution image for this release: ISS National Lab Annual Report

About the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory:
The International Space Station (ISS) is a one-of-a-kind laboratory that enables research and technology development not possible on Earth. As a public service enterprise, the ISS National Laboratory® allows researchers to leverage this multiuser facility to improve quality of life on Earth, mature space-based business models, advance science literacy in the future workforce, and expand a sustainable and scalable market in low Earth orbit. Through this orbiting national laboratory, research resources on the ISS are available to support non-NASA science, technology, and education initiatives from U.S. government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space® (CASIS®) manages the ISS National Lab, under Cooperative Agreement with NASA, facilitating access to its permanent microgravity research environment, a powerful vantage point in low Earth orbit, and the extreme and varied conditions of space. To learn more about the ISS National Lab, visit our website.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, CASIS® accepts corporate and individual donations to help advance science in space for the benefit of humanity. For more information, visit our donations page.

Media Contact:

Patrick O’Neill 

904-806-0035 

PONeill@ISSNationalLab.org  

 

International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory
Managed by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space® (CASIS®)

1005 Viera Blvd., Suite 101, Rockledge, FL 32955 • 321.253.5101 • www.ISSNationalLab.org

 

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‘The Road Ahead 2.0’ and the first AI lab in the region at S-Vyasa University

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BENGALURU, India, Feb. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — In a landmark initiative to foster the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in higher education, S-Vyasa Deemed to be University hosted a prestigious event.

The event hosted at S-Vyasa University under their eminent president and scholar Padma Shree, Dr. H. R. Nagendra was graced by Prof. T.G. Sitharam, Chairman of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), whose declaration of 2025 as the ‘Mahakumbh of AI’ for higher education institutions has set the stage for transformative educational advancements across India.

Three key highlights of the event were 1. Fire starting AICTE Dialogues on *AI of AI *Adoption Imperatives of AI, 2. The release of two volumes of a book titled The Road Ahead 2.0. and 3. Announcement of setting up a first of its kind AI lab at the S Vyasa University.

The Road Ahead 2.0 is a first of its kind seminal work on AI authored by eminent Prof. T G Sitharam and Co-authored by Yogi Kochhar a celebrity happiness savant, a technocrat and an AI evangelist.

This has been inspired by Bill Gates’s original work ‘The Road Ahead’ penned over 30 years ago as he was ushering in his software mounted on CPUs and maps the transition from CPUs to GPUs.

Described by Dr. H R Nagendra as “profound and clairvoyant work offering insights into the fast-evolving human, socio economic, industrial, scientific and educational ecosystem impacted by AI,” the book navigates across 80+ chapters in two volumes over 750+ pages as it provides a visionary roadmap touching each enterprise and activity highlighting the need to acknowledge, accept and adapt to this tectonic shift.

The narrative is simple and has stories and analogies making the entire experience very immersive and fascinating.

Speaking of the event, Dr H R Nagendra, Chancellor S-Vyasa University, has remarked, “This gathering will serve as a critical platform for meaningful dialogue on the future of education in India, driven by AI adoption. We are honored to host AICTE’s Chairman and support his vision for AI’s integration into higher education through fire starting a nationwide dialogue on the Adoption Imperatives of AI. On this day we are announcing the setting up of a unique first of its kind AI lab in this region that has been curated by eminent engineers from Stanford University.

Prof Sitharam held forth for the mission of AI that AICTE has taken at hand using a Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve and Control (DMAIC) mechanism to prepare the higher ed infrastructure.

He said, “The future of AI in India is not just about automation but about augmentation—empowering industries, enhancing human potential, and transforming the landscape of innovation. As AI integrates with India’s vast talent pool, huge public digital infrastructure, and digital revolution, it will redefine how the nation educates, governs, grows, and becomes vikasit Bharat @2047.” He added, “Siloed labs in civil, electrical, and mechanical domains are like the limbs of a human being and are already redundant without repurposing these. An AI lab synthesizes these disciplines, offering a unified system metaphorically speaking, like a human being where true innovation can thrive. This is an imperative to ride the AI wave or be sunk under it.

Yogi Kochhar the co-author of the book, ‘The Road Ahead 2.0’ shed extensive light on the metaphorical genetic mutation through AI across 80+ domains ranging from UNSDGs, Quantum mechanics, Nano technology, medicine, agriculture, aeronautics, education at one hand and small businesses such as manufacturing, hotels, market places, e-commerce and even health clubs and beauty salons on the other.

He said, “AI is now both sentient and sapient. It has developed feelings of its own and the intelligence too that exceeds human intelligence. The book offers a road map to deal with this.

S-Vyasa University announced setting up of a cutting-edge AI lab, the first of its kind in the region curated by a team from Stanford University and eminent industry leaders.

For Media Inquiries: Ms. Srividya Sen: +91 9538872506 | Srividya.sen@svyasa.edu.in | S-Vyasa Deemed to be University

For AI: Yogi Kochhar: +91 9958585370 | yogi@yol.one

 

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2617641/S_Vyasa_University_AI_Lab.jpg

 

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Polyplastics Launches New Eco-friendly PLASTRON (R) ︎LFT with Reduced Weight, Higher Rigidity, and Strong Damping

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TOKYO, Feb. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Polyplastics Co., Ltd., a global leader in engineering plastics, has launched PLASTRON (R) LFT (long fiber-reinforced thermoplastic) RA627P, an eco-friendly composite of polypropylene (PP) resin and long cellulose fiber which delivers low density, high specific rigidity, high impact strength, and excellent damping for a range of applications, including audio components (speaker diaphragms) and housings of industrial components.

Image 1: https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M100475/202502043779/_prw_PI1fl_4W1kxGBW.png

Image 2: https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M100475/202502043779/_prw_PI3fl_3xCP5TL4.jpg

The development of PLASTRON (R) LFT RA627P reinforces Polyplastics’ commitment to reduce the environmental impact of its materials and bring about a sustainable society. Thanks to its regenerated cellulose fiber content, PLASTRON (R) RA627P boasts a reduced carbon footprint — roughly 30% less than that of 30% short glass fiber-reinforced PP resin. The new LFT is a composite of PP resin and uninterrupted 30% long cellulose fiber of the same length which is oriented in the same direction. The regenerated cellulose fiber exhibits high strength and elasticity thanks to unique spinning conditions and polymerization of the raw cellulose materials.

PLASTRON (R) RA627P provides roughly 10% lower density than 30% short glass fiber- reinforced PP resin, while maintaining roughly the same flexural modulus. The material also has a specific rigidity level that is higher than that of 30% short glass fiber-reinforced PP resin, with a large loss coefficient at the same time.

The properties of high specific rigidity and large loss coefficient typically have an inverse relationship, but PLASTRON (R) RA627P offers an excellent balance of these properties, making it suited for audio equipment components such as speaker diaphragms which require this balance.

Image 3: https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M100475/202502043779/_prw_PI2fl_9aV2sDpg.png

Image 4: https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M100475/202502043779/_prw_PI4fl_PQ6XXkm7.png

Polyplastics is developing new grades made from recycled PP resin that can further mitigate carbon footprint levels while also expanding its portfolio of PLASTRON (R) LFT products to meet growing market needs.

For more information, visit: https://www.polyplastics-global.com/en/approach/35.html

About Polyplastics: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/attach/202502043779-O1-f3kx6N6F.pdf

PLASTRON (R) is a registered trademark of Polyplastics Co., Ltd. in Japan and other countries.

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HOME VALUES IN OPPORTUNITY ZONES CONTINUE TO RIDE COATTAILS OF NATIONAL GAINS DURING FOURTH QUARTER

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Prices in Opportunity Zones Targeted for Economic Redevelopment Again Track Broader Changes in U.S. Housing Market; Median Values Rise Quarterly in Half the Zones and Annually in Almost Two-Thirds; Some Measures in Opportunity Zones Again Show Even Better Improvements Than Elsewhere

IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — ATTOM, a leading curator of land, property data, and real estate analytics, today released its fourth-quarter 2024 report analyzing qualified low-income Opportunity Zones targeted by Congress for economic redevelopment in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (see full methodology below). In this report, ATTOM looked at 3,783 zones around the United States with sufficient data to analyze, meaning they had at least five home sales in the fourth quarter of 2024.

The report found that median single-family home and condo prices increased from the third quarter of 2024 to the fourth quarter of 2024 in 49 percent of Opportunity Zones around the country with enough data to measure. They were up annually in 61 percent of those zones.

As the nation’s 13-year housing market boom continued, median prices again grew more than 10 percent annually in almost half the Opportunity Zones analyzed.

Those trends, in and around low-income neighborhoods where the federal government offers tax breaks to spur economic revival, extended a long-term pattern of home values inside Opportunity Zones closely tracking broader nationwide price shifts for at least the last three years. That scenario has held regardless of whether the housing market has seen limited, moderate or robust gains.

Despite overall upswings inside Opportunity Zone markets, the fourth-quarter trends again were mixed, with typical values rising more in higher-priced zones than in the very lowest-priced neighborhoods. That continued to reveal how the very bottom of the U.S. housing market is benefitting less from the national run of price increases, and could be more vulnerable if the broader market surge levels off or reverses.

Nevertheless, the latest patterns mark yet another sign that some of the most distressed communities in the nation are showing economic strength, or limited weakness, compared to other markets around the country.

Moreover, by several important measures, Opportunity Zones enjoyed even more progress than the nation as a whole during the fourth quarter of 2024. For example, median price increases bested typical nationwide gains in a slightly larger portion of Opportunity Zones than elsewhere.

“Micro-markets inside Opportunity Zones continue to reap remarkably consistent benefits from the home-price boom that is still reaching far and wide across the country. Again and again, we are seeing notable levels of economic potential in these areas that have long been in need of revival,” said Rob Barber, CEO for ATTOM. “This keeps happening as rising values and tight supplies of homes for sale push many buyers on limited budgets into areas they may not have considered a few years ago.”

He added that “Opportunity Zone price trends are far from consistent, with the lowest-end areas struggling to keep up. That’s a warning sign for those neighborhoods. But the big takeaway from the latest data is that significant money is flowing into these locations, which can provide a stepping stone for the investment that the Opportunity Zone legislation is intended to spur.”

Opportunity Zones are defined in the Tax Act legislation as census tracts in or alongside low-income neighborhoods that meet various criteria for redevelopment in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories. Census tracts, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, cover areas that have 1,200 to 8,000 residents, with an average of about 4,000 people.

Amid economic limitations, typical home values across wide swaths of Opportunity Zones remained far below those around most of the nation in the waning months of 2024. Median fourth-quarter prices inside about 80 percent of the zones stood below the U.S. median of $360,000. That was about the same portion as in earlier periods over the past three years. In addition, median prices were still less than $200,000 in almost half the zones.

Considerable price volatility also continued inside Opportunity Zones, with median values either dropping or increasing by at least 5 percent in nearly three-quarters of those locations from the third quarter to the fourth quarter of last year. That again likely reflected small numbers of sales in many zones.

Still, when taken as a whole, the latest overall trends in Opportunity Zones generally matched the nationwide path of prices, which went up 1 percent quarterly and 9 percent annually during the last few months of 2024.

The latest increases came as buyers buoyed by rising wages and a strong investment market chased the ongoing short supply of homes for sale. Those forces helped offset an increase in mortgage rates, which rose back up close to an average of 7 percent for a 30-year fixed loan during the fourth quarter of 2024.

High-level findings from the report:

Median prices of single-family homes and condos increased from the third quarter of 2024 to the fourth quarter of 2024 in 1,652 (49 percent) of the Opportunity Zones around the U.S. with sufficient data to analyze, while staying the same or decreasing in 51 percent. Measured annually, medians remained up from the fourth quarter of 2023 to same period last year in 1,984 (61 percent) of those zones. (Among the 3,783 Opportunity Zones included in the report, 3,375 had enough data to generate usable median-price comparisons from the third to the fourth quarter of 2024; 3,256 had enough data to make comparisons between the fourth quarter of 2023 and the fourth quarter of 2024).In an ongoing potential sign of trouble, median prices were up annually in only 47 percent of Opportunity Zones where homes commonly sold for less than $125,000 during the fourth quarter of 2024. Prices climbed during that time frame in 60 percent to 70 percent of zones with higher home values.Among states that had at least 25 Opportunity Zones with enough data to analyze during the fourth quarter of 2024, the largest portions of zones where median prices increased annually were in Indiana (medians up from the fourth quarter of 2023 to the fourth quarter of 2024 in 75 percent of zones), Missouri (74 percent), Wisconsin (73 percent), Kentucky (72 percent) and New Jersey (71 percent). States where prices were up annually in the smallest portion of zones included Louisiana (median prices up in 44 percent of zones), Alabama (44 percent), Arizona (46 percent), Florida (50 percent) and Texas (50 percent).States where median home values in Opportunity Zones were up most often quarterly included Kentucky (medians up from the third quarter of 2024 to the fourth quarter of 2024 in 71 percent of zones), Colorado (62 percent), Wisconsin (57 percent), Utah (56 percent) and Arizona (55 percent).Of the 3,783 zones in the report, 1,152 (30 percent) had median prices below $150,000 in the fourth quarter of 2024. That was down from 35 percent of zones with sufficient data a year earlier and almost 60 percent five years ago. Another 580 zones (15 percent) had medians in the fourth quarter of last year ranging from $150,000 to $199,999.Median values in the fourth quarter of 2024 ranged from $200,000 to $299,999 in 25 percent of Opportunity Zones while they topped the nationwide fourth-quarter median of $360,000 in just 20 percent.The Midwest continued in the fourth quarter of 2024 to have larger portions of the lowest-priced Opportunity Zone tracts. Median home values were less than $175,000 in 59 percent of zones in the Midwest, followed by the South (42 percent), the Northeast (41 percent) and the West (5 percent).Median household incomes in 86 percent of the Opportunity Zones analyzed were less than the medians in the counties where they were located. Median incomes were less than three-quarters of county-level figures in 52 percent of those zones and less than half in 13 percent.

Report methodology
The ATTOM Opportunity Zones analysis is based on home sales price data derived from recorded sales deeds. Statistics for previous quarters are revised when each new report is issued as more deed data becomes available. ATTOM’s analysis compared median home prices in census tracts designated as Opportunity Zones by the Internal Revenue Service. Except where noted, tracts were used for the analysis if they had at least five sales in the fourth quarter of 2024. Median household income data for tracts and counties comes from surveys taken by the U.S. Census Bureau (www.census.gov) from 2019 through 2023. The list of designated Qualified Opportunity Zones is located at U.S. Department of the Treasury. Regions are based on designations by the Census Bureau. Hawaii and Alaska, which the bureau designates as part of the Pacific region, were included in the West region for this report.

About ATTOM
ATTOM provides premium property data and analytics that power a myriad of solutions that improve transparency, innovation, digitization and efficiency in a data-driven economy. ATTOM multi-sources property tax, deed, mortgage, foreclosure, environmental risk, natural hazard, and neighborhood data for more than 155 million U.S. residential and commercial properties covering 99 percent of the nation’s population. A rigorous data management process involving more than 20 steps validates, standardizes, and enhances the real estate data collected by ATTOM, assigning each property record with a persistent, unique ID — the ATTOM ID. The 30TB ATTOM Data Warehouse fuels innovation in many industries including mortgage, real estate, insurance, marketing, government and more through flexible data delivery solutions that include ATTOM Cloudbulk file licensesproperty data APIsreal estate market trendsproperty navigator and more. Also, introducing our newest innovative solution, making property data more readily accessible and optimized for AI applications – AI-Ready Solutions.

Media Contact:
Megan Hunt
Megan.hunt@attomdata.com

Data and Report Licensing:
949.502.8313
datareports@attomdata.com

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SOURCE ATTOM

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