Space Coast-based Craig Technologies will see its hardware on the ISS this fall

Space Coast-based Craig Technologies Aerospace Solutions will fly its own hardware to the International Space Station from a NASA launch site in Virginia this fall, the company said.

CraigX, a platform that will host components from other companies for testing on the outside of the ISS, is slated launch on a Northrop Grumman Antares rocket from Wallops Island in October. Hardware platforms allow companies to buy small portions of space for their experiments or technology demonstrations more affordably due to the division of costs with potentially many others on the same platform.

Craig's platform also features data storage capabilities, data transmission during the mission, a camera for streaming and a GPS antenna, to name a few.

This is the first mission for Craig, which is headquartered on Merritt Island. Its customers include Rincon Research, Quest Institute, Alfred University, Second Baptist School, Cobra Puma Golf, Explore.org, Genesis Dimensions, and Lamborghini in partnership with the Houston Methodist Research Institute. 

The primary mission for Northrop Grumman's flight, known as NG-12, will be the delivery of a robotic Cygnus spacecraft to the space station with supplies and science experiments for the crew.

Contact Emre Kelly at aekelly@floridatoday.com or 321-242-3715. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @EmreKelly.