Credit: NASA/Scott Wiessinger\r
Alt text: A man studies a transparent block of aerogel.\r
Image description: A man with glasses wearing a blue checkered shirt examines a block of transparent material resting on a table. He is leaning and rests his right hand on the table. The block glows faintly blue. The table is gray with evenly spaced rows of holes.", "items": [ { "id": 519671, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1202121, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014979/Tigeriss-Aerogel__Nick_Cannady-3.jpg", "filename": "Tigeriss-Aerogel__Nick_Cannady-3.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Nick Cannady, an astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, examines a block of silica aerogel in May 2025. Cannady uses the light weight material in detectors for the upcoming TIGERISS (Trans-Iron Galactic Element Recorder for the International Space Station) mission, which is designed to study high-speed charged particles called cosmic rays.\rCredit: NASA/Scott Wiessinger\rAlt text: A man studies a transparent block of aerogel.\rImage description: A man with glasses wearing a blue checkered shirt examines a block of transparent material resting on a table. He is leaning and rests his right hand on the table. The block glows faintly blue. The table is gray with evenly spaced rows of holes.", "width": 6393, "height": 4718, "pixels": 30162174 } }, { "id": 519672, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1202122, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014979/Tigeriss-AerogelNick_Cannady-3-small.jpg", "filename": "Tigeriss-AerogelNick_Cannady-3-small.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Nick Cannady, an astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, examines a block of silica aerogel in May 2025. Cannady uses the light weight material in detectors for the upcoming TIGERISS (Trans-Iron Galactic Element Recorder for the International Space Station) mission, which is designed to study high-speed charged particles called cosmic rays.\rCredit: NASA/Scott Wiessinger\rAlt text: A man studies a transparent block of aerogel.\rImage description: A man with glasses wearing a blue checkered shirt examines a block of transparent material resting on a table. He is leaning and rests his right hand on the table. The block glows faintly blue. The table is gray with evenly spaced rows of holes.", "width": 3196, "height": 2359, "pixels": 7539364 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 379955, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14979/#media_group_379955", "widget": "Basic text with HTML", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "In spring 2025, scientists and engineers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, tested early cosmic-ray detector components of the agency’s TIGERISS (Trans-Iron Galactic Element Recorder for the International Space Station) mission. The TIGERISS instrument is slated to launch aboard a SpaceX cargo resupply flight in 2027. After arrival at the station, it will be robotically installed on the Columbus laboratory module.
TIGERISS is designed to measure the abundances of certain types of cosmic rays, which are high-energy charged particles mostly made of atomic nuclei. Cataclysmic cosmic events such as supernovae propel cosmic rays to nearly the speed of light and large quantities of them pelt every square meter of Earth’s atmosphere every second.
About 90% of cosmic rays are hydrogen nuclei, and around 9% are helium nuclei. TIGERISS’s goal is to measure a part of the remaining 1%, up to nuclei as heavy as lead, and help astronomers understand the distribution and origin of the elements that make up our cosmos.
The TIGERISS mission hosts three different detector types — two double layers of silicon detectors with one layer each of acrylic and aerogel detectors sandwiched between them. Combined, these will help scientists determine the trajectory, charge, and velocity of incoming cosmic rays and use these to identify the specific element traversing the instrument.
TIGERISS builds on hardware developed for two previous scientific balloon missions — TIGER, which flew in 2001 and 2003, and SuperTIGER, which flew in 2012 and 2019. NASA’s scientific balloons offer frequent, low-cost access to near-space to conduct scientific investigations and technology maturation as well as training for the next generation of leaders in engineering and science. TIGERISS will be able to measure to higher-atomic-number nuclei and for a longer duration than balloons allow.", "items": [], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 379748, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14979/#media_group_379748", "widget": "Single image", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "A block of aerogel rests on a lab table at NASA Goddard. Aerogel is made when a material like silica mixes with a solvent to form a gel. Gas replaces the liquid, leaving behind a porous solid. Waseda University in Japan provides the aerogel for TIGERISS.\r
Credit: NASA/Scott Wiessinger\r
Alt text: A block of aerogel standing on edge \r
Image description: A block of translucent material stands up on a table. The block glows faintly blue. The table is gray and full of evenly spaced holes.", "items": [ { "id": 519677, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1202123, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014979/Tigeriss-Aerogel-4.jpg", "filename": "Tigeriss-Aerogel-4.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "A block of aerogel rests on a lab table at NASA Goddard. Aerogel is made when a material like silica mixes with a solvent to form a gel. Gas replaces the liquid, leaving behind a porous solid. Waseda University in Japan provides the aerogel for TIGERISS.\rCredit: NASA/Scott Wiessinger\rAlt text: A block of aerogel standing on edge \rImage description: A block of translucent material stands up on a table. The block glows faintly blue. The table is gray and full of evenly spaced holes.", "width": 5279, "height": 7914, "pixels": 41778006 } }, { "id": 519678, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1202124, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014979/Tigeriss-Aerogel-4-small.jpg", "filename": "Tigeriss-Aerogel-4-small.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "A block of aerogel rests on a lab table at NASA Goddard. Aerogel is made when a material like silica mixes with a solvent to form a gel. Gas replaces the liquid, leaving behind a porous solid. Waseda University in Japan provides the aerogel for TIGERISS.\rCredit: NASA/Scott Wiessinger\rAlt text: A block of aerogel standing on edge \rImage description: A block of translucent material stands up on a table. The block glows faintly blue. The table is gray and full of evenly spaced holes.", "width": 2639, "height": 3957, "pixels": 10442523 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 379749, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14979/#media_group_379749", "widget": "Single image", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "Engineers will use aerogel, like the block shown here, to help determine the charge and velocity of cosmic rays that strike TIGERISS’s detectors. Aerogel is also an excellent insulating material. \r
Credit: NASA/Scott Wiessinger\r
Alt text: A block of aerogel lying a table\r
Image description: A block of translucent material rests on a table. The block glows faintly blue. The table is gray and full of evenly spaced holes.", "items": [ { "id": 519684, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1202120, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014979/Tigeriss-Aerogel-1.jpg", "filename": "Tigeriss-Aerogel-1.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Engineers will use aerogel, like the block shown here, to help determine the charge and velocity of cosmic rays that strike TIGERISS’s detectors. Aerogel is also an excellent insulating material. \rCredit: NASA/Scott Wiessinger\rAlt text: A block of aerogel lying a table\rImage description: A block of translucent material rests on a table. The block glows faintly blue. The table is gray and full of evenly spaced holes.", "width": 8192, "height": 5464, "pixels": 44761088 } }, { "id": 519683, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1202119, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014979/Tigeriss-Aerogel-1-small.jpg", "filename": "Tigeriss-Aerogel-1-small.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Engineers will use aerogel, like the block shown here, to help determine the charge and velocity of cosmic rays that strike TIGERISS’s detectors. Aerogel is also an excellent insulating material. \rCredit: NASA/Scott Wiessinger\rAlt text: A block of aerogel lying a table\rImage description: A block of translucent material rests on a table. The block glows faintly blue. The table is gray and full of evenly spaced holes.", "width": 4096, "height": 2732, "pixels": 11190272 } }, { "id": 519697, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1202764, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014979/Tigeriss-Aerogel-1_searchweb.png", "filename": "Tigeriss-Aerogel-1_searchweb.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Engineers will use aerogel, like the block shown here, to help determine the charge and velocity of cosmic rays that strike TIGERISS’s detectors. Aerogel is also an excellent insulating material. \rCredit: NASA/Scott Wiessinger\rAlt text: A block of aerogel lying a table\rImage description: A block of translucent material rests on a table. The block glows faintly blue. The table is gray and full of evenly spaced holes.", "width": 320, "height": 180, "pixels": 57600 } }, { "id": 519698, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1202765, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014979/Tigeriss-Aerogel-1_thm.png", "filename": "Tigeriss-Aerogel-1_thm.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Engineers will use aerogel, like the block shown here, to help determine the charge and velocity of cosmic rays that strike TIGERISS’s detectors. Aerogel is also an excellent insulating material. \rCredit: NASA/Scott Wiessinger\rAlt text: A block of aerogel lying a table\rImage description: A block of translucent material rests on a table. The block glows faintly blue. The table is gray and full of evenly spaced holes.", "width": 80, "height": 40, "pixels": 3200 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 379750, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14979/#media_group_379750", "widget": "Single image", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "Cannady studies a block of aerogel in a lab at NASA Goddard ahead of preliminary environmental testing for TIGERISS. \r
Credit: NASA/Scott Wiessinger\r
Alt text: A man holds a block of aerogel\r
Image description: A man wearing glasses and a blue checkered shirt holds up a block of translucent material that glows with a blueish light. In the background is a faintly lit lab space.", "items": [ { "id": 519687, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1202127, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014979/Tigeriss-Aerogel_Nick_Cannady-small.jpg", "filename": "Tigeriss-Aerogel_Nick_Cannady-small.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Cannady studies a block of aerogel in a lab at NASA Goddard ahead of preliminary environmental testing for TIGERISS. \rCredit: NASA/Scott Wiessinger\rAlt text: A man holds a block of aerogel\rImage description: A man wearing glasses and a blue checkered shirt holds up a block of translucent material that glows with a blueish light. In the background is a faintly lit lab space.", "width": 4096, "height": 2732, "pixels": 11190272 } }, { "id": 519688, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1202128, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014979/Tigeriss-Aerogel_Nick_Cannady.jpg", "filename": "Tigeriss-Aerogel_Nick_Cannady.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Cannady studies a block of aerogel in a lab at NASA Goddard ahead of preliminary environmental testing for TIGERISS. \rCredit: NASA/Scott Wiessinger\rAlt text: A man holds a block of aerogel\rImage description: A man wearing glasses and a blue checkered shirt holds up a block of translucent material that glows with a blueish light. In the background is a faintly lit lab space.", "width": 8192, "height": 5464, "pixels": 44761088 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 379751, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14979/#media_group_379751", "widget": "Single image", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "For testing, Cannady evenly arranged three blocks of aerogel encased in a thin coating similar to plastic wrap. The final version of the aerogel layer will form a nine-by-nine grid. \r
Credit: NASA/Scott Wiessinger\r
Alt text: Three blocks of aerogel on a table with spacers between them\r
Image description: Three translucent blocks rest on a table. They’re evenly separated by two pieces of thin black plastic propped vertically between them. There’s a light sitting on the table behind them. The background is dark. ", "items": [ { "id": 519693, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1202125, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014979/Tigeriss_Chip_Aerogel_Nick_Cannady-1.jpg", "filename": "Tigeriss_Chip_Aerogel_Nick_Cannady-1.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "For testing, Cannady evenly arranged three blocks of aerogel encased in a thin coating similar to plastic wrap. The final version of the aerogel layer will form a nine-by-nine grid. \rCredit: NASA/Scott Wiessinger\rAlt text: Three blocks of aerogel on a table with spacers between them\rImage description: Three translucent blocks rest on a table. They’re evenly separated by two pieces of thin black plastic propped vertically between them. There’s a light sitting on the table behind them. The background is dark. ", "width": 8192, "height": 5464, "pixels": 44761088 } }, { "id": 519694, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1202126, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014979/Tigeriss_Chip_Aerogel_Nick_Cannady-1-small.jpg", "filename": "Tigeriss_Chip_Aerogel_Nick_Cannady-1-small.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "For testing, Cannady evenly arranged three blocks of aerogel encased in a thin coating similar to plastic wrap. The final version of the aerogel layer will form a nine-by-nine grid. \rCredit: NASA/Scott Wiessinger\rAlt text: Three blocks of aerogel on a table with spacers between them\rImage description: Three translucent blocks rest on a table. They’re evenly separated by two pieces of thin black plastic propped vertically between them. There’s a light sitting on the table behind them. The background is dark. ", "width": 4096, "height": 2732, "pixels": 11190272 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 379752, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14979/#media_group_379752", "widget": "Single image", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "Silicon strip detectors, like the one shown here, will also help scientists determine the charge of cosmic rays that strike TIGERISS’s detector assembly. \r
Credit: NASA/Sophia Roberts\r
Alt text: A silicon strip detector under a microscope\r
Image description: A square piece of silver material rests on a circular platform under a microscope. The microscope is surrounded by multiple black and white clamps that hold long yellow rods that touch various points of the square’s surface. A silver cannister attached to the base of the microscope has “DO NOT LIFT HERE” in red lettering. There are two stickers on the base, one with a red header that says “DANGER” and one with an orange header with mostly unreadable text. ", "items": [ { "id": 519695, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1202117, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014979/Tigeriss_Chip_Verification-small.jpg", "filename": "Tigeriss_Chip_Verification-small.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Silicon strip detectors, like the one shown here, will also help scientists determine the charge of cosmic rays that strike TIGERISS’s detector assembly. \rCredit: NASA/Sophia Roberts\rAlt text: A silicon strip detector under a microscope\rImage description: A square piece of silver material rests on a circular platform under a microscope. The microscope is surrounded by multiple black and white clamps that hold long yellow rods that touch various points of the square’s surface. A silver cannister attached to the base of the microscope has “DO NOT LIFT HERE” in red lettering. There are two stickers on the base, one with a red header that says “DANGER” and one with an orange header with mostly unreadable text. ", "width": 2732, "height": 3218, "pixels": 8791576 } }, { "id": 519696, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1202118, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014979/Tigeriss_Chip_Verification.jpg", "filename": "Tigeriss_Chip_Verification.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Silicon strip detectors, like the one shown here, will also help scientists determine the charge of cosmic rays that strike TIGERISS’s detector assembly. \rCredit: NASA/Sophia Roberts\rAlt text: A silicon strip detector under a microscope\rImage description: A square piece of silver material rests on a circular platform under a microscope. The microscope is surrounded by multiple black and white clamps that hold long yellow rods that touch various points of the square’s surface. A silver cannister attached to the base of the microscope has “DO NOT LIFT HERE” in red lettering. There are two stickers on the base, one with a red header that says “DANGER” and one with an orange header with mostly unreadable text. ", "width": 5464, "height": 6436, "pixels": 35166304 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 379753, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14979/#media_group_379753", "widget": "Single image", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "A close-up of a silicon strip detector. Each of the four silicon layers will consist of nine ladders, each with nine of these detectors connected and attached to readout electronics at each end. \r
Credit: NASA/Sophia Roberts\r
Alt text: A silicon strip detector under a microscope\r
Image description: A silver square of material rests on a circular platform under a microscope, which is reflected cleanly in its surface. A long rod of copper-colored material touches the utmost tip of the upper left corner. ", "items": [ { "id": 511028, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1202129, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014979/Tigeriss_Chip_Verification-3.jpg", "filename": "Tigeriss_Chip_Verification-3.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "A close-up of a silicon strip detector. Each of the four silicon layers will consist of nine ladders, each with nine of these detectors connected and attached to readout electronics at each end. \rCredit: NASA/Sophia Roberts\rAlt text: A silicon strip detector under a microscope\rImage description: A silver square of material rests on a circular platform under a microscope, which is reflected cleanly in its surface. A long rod of copper-colored material touches the utmost tip of the upper left corner. ", "width": 5464, "height": 8192, "pixels": 44761088 } }, { "id": 511029, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1202131, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014979/Tigeriss_Chip_Verification-3-small.jpg", "filename": "Tigeriss_Chip_Verification-3-small.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "A close-up of a silicon strip detector. Each of the four silicon layers will consist of nine ladders, each with nine of these detectors connected and attached to readout electronics at each end. \rCredit: NASA/Sophia Roberts\rAlt text: A silicon strip detector under a microscope\rImage description: A silver square of material rests on a circular platform under a microscope, which is reflected cleanly in its surface. A long rod of copper-colored material touches the utmost tip of the upper left corner. ", "width": 2732, "height": 4096, "pixels": 11190272 } } ], "extra_data": {} } ], "studio": "gms", "funding_sources": [ "NASA Astrophysics" ], "credits": [ { "role": "Photographer", "people": [ { "name": "Sophia Roberts", "employer": "eMITS" }, { "name": "Scott Wiessinger", "employer": "eMITS" } ] }, { "role": "Science writer", "people": [ { "name": "Jeanette Kazmierczak", "employer": "University of Maryland College Park" } ] } ], "missions": [ "International Space Station" ], "series": [ "Astrophysics Stills" ], "tapes": [], "papers": [], "datasets": [], "nasa_science_categories": [ "Universe" ], "keywords": [ "Ast", "Astrophysics", "Cosmic Origins", "Elements", "International Space Station", "Space", "Universe" ], "recommended_pages": [], "related": [ { "id": 12783, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12783/", "page_type": "Infographic", "title": "SuperTIGER Ready to Fly Again in Study of Heavy Cosmic Rays", "description": "SuperTIGER team members Brian Rauch, Jason Link and Nathan Walsh join NASA Blueshift's Sara Mitchell for a Skype conversation in November 2017 about the instrument's science, technology and upcoming launch from McMurdo Station, Antarctica. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight CenterComplete transcript available. || SuperTIGER_Skype_Still.png (1280x720) [1.2 MB] || SuperTIGER_Skype2.webm (1280x720) [135.1 MB] || SuperTIGER_Skype2.mp4 (1280x720) [608.6 MB] || SuperTIGER_Skype2_SRT_Captions.en_US.srt [22.5 KB] || SuperTIGER_Skype2_SRT_Captions.en_US.vtt [22.5 KB] || SuperTIGER_Skype2_best.mp4 (1280x720) [1.2 GB] || ", "release_date": "2017-12-06T12:45:00-05:00", "update_date": "2020-01-23T07:32:08-05:00", "main_image": { "id": 409214, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a012700/a012783/SuperTIGER_Name_STILL.jpg", "filename": "SuperTIGER_Name_STILL.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } } ], "sources": [], "products": [], "newer_versions": [], "older_versions": [], "alternate_versions": [] }