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The ICE Cubes commercial service is built based on a public-private partnership with the European Space Agency. ESA publication: “Getting a science experiment on the world’s only floating outpost in Earth orbit is a costly and time-consuming endeavour. ICE Cubes is ESA’s faster, lower cost answer to making science happen in space.”
The ICE Cubes model is part of a growing commercial trend in space exploration. Missions to Low Earth Orbit, the Moon and beyond are being planned not only in cooperation with international space agencies but also with industry partners as the space share-economy develops. This more sustainable approach drives down the cost, allowing for more missions overall.
ICE Cubes experiments highlight the versatility of this easier, faster and more affordable access to research in weightlessness, ensuring any company, organisation or educational institution can be a part of orbital research for years to come.
For more information, access the early ESA articles in the links below.
ESA
first public private partnership for commercial service