Research will help preserve Ohio’s water quality, improve crop efficiency and enhance animal health
The Ohio State University will serve as the lead partner for the first-ever science park devoted to space research. Voyager Space announced today it has selected a proposal from the university, the State of Ohio, JobsOhio, and One Columbus (“Team Ohio”) to host the terrestrial analog of the George Washington Carver Science Park (GWCSP) at Ohio State. The analog laboratory will be a replica of the Starlab space station science park and allows researchers to test missions and conduct parallel experiments on the ground.
The GWCSP, established by Voyager and its operating company Nanoracks, is a core element of Starlab, the companies’ future commercial space station. In December 2021, Voyager and Nanoracks won a $160 million Space Act Agreement from NASA to design Starlab as part of their Commercial Destination Free Flyers (CDFF) project. The GWCSP is the world's first-ever science park in space, operating today on the International Space Station.
"We have only just begun to scratch the surface of the possibilities and opportunities that await us in the ‘final frontier,’ and our ability to maximize future exploration hinges on collaboration between scientists and industry experts,” said Ohio State President Kristina M. Johnson. “Locating the terrestrial lab of the George Washington Carver Science Park at Ohio State will be the best possible way to facilitate this joint effort and ensure we are sharing resources, research and knowledge across multiple disciplines."
“We know this facility will transform into a broader commercial space research magnet that serves as the primary North American site for the George Washington Carver Science Park,” says John Horack, Neil Armstrong Chair in Aerospace Policy at Ohio State.