Introduction to possible means of experiment operations on the space station

Introduction to possible means of experiment operations on the space station

Vreeburg, J.P.B.

National Aerospace Laboratory NLR

1988-01-11

The present plans for space stations are evolutionary developments from Skylab, ASTP, Spacelab, and recently, MIR. Other forbears can be identified as well, and it is instructive to compare current designs with the drawings that appeared in magazines around 1950, when spaceflight first appeared feasible. The space station that is taken as the basis for the present report, is the complex that is to be realized in consequence of a political decision of the USA, Discussions between NASA, ESA and the Japanese are to determine the extent of a major International cooperation in this venture. Both in Europe (Columbus) and in Japan original designs exist, and plans independent of the USA have been mooted. The economic conditions of the partners have changed sufficiently since the beginning of the negotations that scope for reassessment of shares may exist. An important use of the space station is for scientific purposes. As such it can be likened to a multi-user facility, an institution with many representatives on earth. Thus, the scientific operation of the space station can be modelled after different examples. A capability explored on Spacelab Is the investigation of physical systems in mlcrogravlty. The effect of gravity on heat and mass transfer processes Is often profound and, because these processes are so ubiquitous, may have important applications in processing technology. The report is to clarify some attributes of the space station that are relevant to its realization. The choices of organisation structure and engineering paradigms have economic consequences. It is hoped that, as a corollary, promising workpackages can be identified for particular national or institutional capabilities.

Space Stations
European Space programs
Microgravity applications
Payloads
Experiment design
Mission planning
User requirements
Space Laboratories
Spaceborne experiments
Ground stations

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Nationaal Lucht- en Ruimtevaartlaboratorium

Campus only

NLR-TR 88009 U

Aerospace Engineering Reports

report

(c)1988 National Aerospace Laboratory NLR