ULISSE · The USOCs KnowLedge Integration and dissemination for Space Science Experimentation

The ULISSE project is conceived by a network of centers already operative in space experimentation. This network is mainly based on the European USOCs including a number of research centers and companies. The USOCs (User Support and Operation Centers) are a network of centres engaged by the European Space Agency (ESA) in various EU countries to support the operations for scientific experiments on board the International Space Station. ESA recognised the unique expertise of the USOCs in space experimentation; in fact, USOCs personnel has a sound scientific background, participate in research projects and realise a large number of space experiments, consolidating experience on scientific space payloads and related operations. In addition, USOCs have well-established liaisons with the scientific community, with national public institutions and with European industries. These competences and resources make the USOCs network particularly able to generate value from space experiments. The ULISSE project proposes to exploit this network of competences and resources to complement the on-going activities of payload operations on the ISS with new initiatives aimed at increasing the return of scientific space activities. For this purpose, ULISSE intends to pursue the valorisation and exploitation of ISS scientific data and of the already available data from previous space experiments as well as data from other space platforms, increasing the involvement of specialized community and the awareness of general public. ULISSE will provide scientific and technical data concerning most scientific disciplines, as Life Sciences including Space Medicine and Exobiology, Biotechnology, Material and Fluid Sciences. The data will be integrated with specific services and tools for their exploitation through a middleware platform. The project will include dissemination activities: scientific as well as divulgative publications, public events, educational activities on space research.