NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Scientists and payload developers can get more information on International Space Station research facilities by contacting the ISS Payloads Office or at 281-244-6187.

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Facility/Payload Overview

Brief Facility Summary

The Microgravity Experiment Research Locker/INcubator (MERLIN) incubators will store samples at temperatures -20.0 degrees C to + 48.5 degrees C.

Facility Manager(s)

Dan Connor, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Center for Biophysical Sciences and Engineering (CBSE), Birmingham, AL

Co-Facility Manager(s)

Information Pending

Facility Developer

University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Center for Biophysical Sciences and Engineering (CBSE), Birmingham, AL

Sponsoring Agency

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Expeditions Assigned

|15|16|17|18|

Previous ISS Missions

Information Pending

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Facility/Payload Description

Facility Summary

• Microgravity Experiment Research Locker Incubator (MERLIN) provides a single middeck locker-sized EXPRESS (Expedite the Processing of Experiments to Space Station) Rack compatible freezer/refrigerator or incubator that can be used for a variety of experiments. Temperature range for MERLIN is -20 degrees C (-4 degrees F) to + 48.5 degrees C (+119 degrees F).



• MERLIN is part of the Cold Stowage Fleet of hardware which includes Minus Eighty Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI) and General Laboratory Active Cryogenic ISS Experiment Refrigerator (GLACIER), Coldbag and GN Dewar.

Description

Microgravity Experiment Research Locker Incubator (MERLIN) is a rear-breathing Middeck Locker (MDL) replacement incubator that provides a thermally controlled environment for scientific experiments in the International Space Station (ISS) EXPRESS Rack, the Middeck of the Space Shuttle, or a SPACEHAB module. With the capability of being operated on Shuttle and ISS, MERLIN provides cold stowage transport for samples to and from the ISS as well as On-Orbit operations on the ISS.

MERLIN can be operated as a freezer or refrigerator or incubator aboard the ISS. Cooling is accomplished via thermoelectric elements (creation of a heat difference from an electric voltage). MERLIN is capable of providing temperatures as cold as -20 degrees C while operating with ISS water cooling or -10 degrees C while operating with ISS air cooling. The experiment volume can be maintained to temperatures within the range of -20.0 degrees C (-4 degrees F) to + 48.5 degrees C (+119 degrees F) with a tolerance of +/-0.5 degrees C using either a set point or programmable temperature profile. It is designed to operate with minimal crew interaction by most of the controls being commanded from the ground.

The structural design of MERLIN allows for the internal volume of approximately 2 ft3. The outer box structure is composed of aluminum with the dimensions of 0.75 in. x 18.125 in. x 20.56 in. The top, bottom, right and left covers mount to the rear and front panel. Internal Power and data connections are available for Users if required. Tool guides for installing the MERLIN into the Shuttle and EXPRESS Rack are provided along each corner of the unit.

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Operations

Facility Operations

Information Pending

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Results/More Information

Information Pending

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Availability

Operated on Space Shuttle

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Related Web Sites

Center for Biophysical Sciences and Engineering

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Publications

Results Publications

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Related Publications

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Images

MERLIN is a single middeck locker sized facility that can be used as a freezer, refrigerator, or an incubator.
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This image shows seven MERLIN units that will be used to transport samples to and from the International Space Station by Space Shuttle.
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NASA Image: S123E008721 - Dominic Gorie,STS-123 commander,poses in the forward middeck on Space Shuttle Endeavor, in front of the Microgravity Experiment Research Locker INcubator (MERLIN) during STS-123/1J/A Expedition 16 during joint operations.
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NASA Image: S118E06151 - View of STS-118 Mission Specialist, Barbara R. Morgan, working to transfer the Streptococcus Pneumoniae Expression of Genes in Space (SPEGIS) experiment from the Microgravity Experiment Research Locker/INcubator (MERLIN) during STS-123/1J/A Expedition 16 during joint operations.
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NASA Image: S123E008807 - View MERLIN on STS-123.
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Information Provided and Updated by the ISS Program Scientist's Office