The International Space Station is one of the most ambitious international collaborations ever attempted – a convergence of science, technology, and human innovation.
Since March 8, 2001, the Payload Operations Integration Center, or POIC, at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, has provided 24/7 support for space station science operations. The POIC’s unique capabilities allow science experts and researchers to perform cutting-edge science in the unique microgravity environment of space. The POIC team coordinates the use of valuable in-orbit resources, orchestrates delivery and retrieval of payloads, ensures safety for station crews while working with payloads, and configures complex systems aboard the station to support experiments and payloads. Other members of the team train astronauts, cosmonauts, and ground personnel on payloads, and coordinate the plans for payload activities with scientists and control centers around the world.(NASA Marshall Payload Operations Photo March 15, 2020)