Performing experiments in low Earth orbit has been the focus of much of the research funded by NASA’s Physical Sciences Division (PSD) and its predecessors for over 30 years. This microgravity research can be divided into five broad areas, all of which focus primarily on phenomena that are strongly perturbed by gravity: biotechnology, combustion, fluid physics, fundamental physics, and materials science. To these disciplines, the Physical Sciences Division is considering adding research in such emerging areas as biomolecular physics and chemistry, nanotechnology, and research in support of the human exploration and development of space (HEDS). In response to a request from NASA, the Committee on Microgravity Research.
