How ISS Research Is Shaping the Future of the LEO Economy +++

https://issnationallab.org/iss360/iss-research-commercial-leo-economy-innovation/ June 10, 2026 • By Amelia Williamson Smith, Sr. Manager, Scientific Communications & Content This article is part of a series highlighting sessions from the ISSInternational Space Station National Lab track at the 2026 ASCEND conference in Washington, D.C. The ISS National Lab hosted a full day of programming highlighting advances in space-based R&D, how the ISS National Lab enables innovation in orbit, and the growing low Earth orbit (Abbreviation: LEO) The orbit around the Earth that extends up to an altitude of 2,000 km (1,200 miles) from Earth’s surface. The International Space Station’s orbit is in LEO, at an altitude of approximately 250 miles. economy. New Space Biomedical Institutes Are Using ISS Research to Advance Human Health https://issnationallab.org/iss360/space-research-iss-medicine-centers/ June 12, 2026 • By Amelia Williamson Smith, Sr. Manager, Scientific Communications & Content This article is part of a series highlighting sessions from the ISSInternational Space Station National Lab track at the 2026 ASCEND conference in Washington, D.C. The ISS National Lab hosted a full day of programming highlighting advances in space-based R&D, how the ISS National Lab enables innovation in orbit, and the growing low Earth orbit (Abbreviation: LEO) The orbit around the Earth that extends up to an altitude of 2,000 km (1,200 miles) from Earth’s surface. The International Space Station’s orbit is in LEO, at an altitude of approximately 250 miles. economy. Orbital Edge Accelerator Helps Startups Turn Space R&D Into Commercial Reality https://issnationallab.org/iss360/orbital-edge-accelerator-space-startups-commercialization/ June 15, 2026 • By Amelia Williamson Smith, Sr. Manager, Scientific Communications & Content This article is part of a series highlighting sessions from the ISSInternational Space Station National Lab track at the 2026 ASCEND conference in Washington, D.C. The ISS National Lab hosted a full day of programming highlighting advances in space-based R&D, how the ISS National Lab enables innovation in orbit, and the growing low Earth orbit (Abbreviation: LEO) The orbit around the Earth that extends up to an altitude of 2,000 km (1,200 miles) from Earth’s surface. The International Space Station’s orbit is in LEO, at an altitude of approximately 250 miles. economy.