Astrotech

Astrotech Corporation is a leader in identifying and commercializing space technology for terrestrial use.

Before 2009, Astrotech Corporation was known as SPACEHAB and based in Houston, Texas. SPACEHAB was incorporated in 1984 with the goal of designing and building a man-rated module in the Space Shuttle’s payload bay to ferry tourists into space. NASA and SPACEHAB modified that original idea, agreeing to design and build a man-rated “Space Habitat” pressurized module to transport supplies and experiments into low earth orbit. SPACEHAB’s first module flew on Space Shuttle Endeavor in July, 1993, and SPACEHAB modules flew on over 20 more shuttle missions that carried numerous experiments and over 150,000 pounds of vital supplies and experiments to MIR and the International Space Station (ISS). SPACEHAB provided all aspects of “cargo management” including developing, designing, building, validating, integrating, certifying, transporting, operating, monitoring and de-integrating pressurized and non-pressurized flight hardware and ground support equipment (GSE). Approximately 100 astronauts trained at the former SPACEHAB Space Payload Processing Facility (SPPF) in Cape Canaveral, Florida. At the SPPF, the astronauts worked in the modules, practiced loading and unloading protocols, and familiarized themselves with the experiments. SPACEHAB also created an educational outreach program, Space Technology and Research Students (STARS), to fly experiments in a microgravity environment designed by students from around the world