Orbiting over your head about sixteen times a day, the International Space Station assumes a role in our everyday lives that many do not know. While the research facilitates future endeavors beyond our current planet, it aids in many current studies.

What Exactly Goes on up There?

The ISS operates non-stop. It orbits Earth in 90 minutes, conducts an extensive amount of research, and hosts around 6 astronauts at a time. Primarily, the function of the ISS and its astronauts is to prepare human life for anything beyond Earth, particularly Mars. In recent years, more attention has accrued towards this idea because Elon Musk claims humans will be on Mars by 2024. Every activity, lab experiment, and second of work by these geniuses in space is focused towards the eventual expansion of human life. The ISS is functioned by multiple countries (primarily Russia and the US), but is being pushed by Tesla and many other private sector groups. Easy to say one big goal for a man is one giant task for mankind.

Research performed on the ISS laboratory involves terms and procedures far beyond the knowledge of a blogger like me, but we do know a few things of what they are aiming at:

• -Commercializing travel/orbit in space
• -Improving water purification efforts on Earth
• -Developing microgravity protein-based drugs (for muscular dystrophy, etc)
• -Finding new technologies to aid in cancer and other disease relief efforts
• -Monitoring natural disaster patterns

Space and Silicone? 

Silicone Depot is the sealant supplier for tools used in the laboratory on the ISS. With the whole no-gravity thing going on up there, it is difficult to manage certain actions on the ISS that require gravity. For example, one of the highest-quality 3D printers is in the ISS. When the astronauts need to print an object necessary for research or survival, they use this 3D printer. But if the printer is not air-tight, the object being created would simply turn into an unstructured, floating, completely dysfunctional substance. Silicone Depot sealants keep this printer and other essentials closed shut so everything can run smoothly.

In other words, Silicone Depot is basically putting mankind on Mars by 2024. We may not be the actual space station or Elon Musk, but we’re getting the job done where we can…always. Check out how our sealants can help you get your job done while we're still here on Earth.