The ISS is a joint project between NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe) and CSA (Canada). The station maintains an average altitude of 250 miles and orbits earth every 92 minutes. It serves as a space laboratory for scientific research in a unique microgravity environment, and since the ISS was first occupied in 2000, there have been numerous breakthroughs in scientific research.

Scientists have gained information on the human body that could lead to improvements in treating osteoporosis, protein crystals used to develop new drugs treating muscular dystrophy and cancer have been grown and researchers have learned clues about soot formation and how that could one day lead to more efficient designs for combustion engines on earth.

Along the way, Crane Aerospace & Electronics has played a behind-the-scenes role in the successes of the ISS. Crane A&E’s Interpoint DC-DC converters and EMI filters have been featured in numerous ISS experiments and on several station components.

In addition to content on the ISS, Interpoint products are used on several shuttle systems that supply the ISS. These include transport vehicles such as the Orion crew transport, the Japanese unmanned HTV transfer vehicle and Proton launch vehicles.

DC-DC converters convert one source of direct current from one voltage level to another while EMI filters suppress electromagnetic interference to keep devices functioning properly. Crane owns a catalog of more than 1,000 DC-DC converters with proven reliability in demanding space, defense and aerospace environments.

NASA’s funding of the ISS is scheduled to last until 2025.