The International Space Station Is Real!
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FEUSTEL 24-08-2001 11:27 Page 2 r bulletin 107 — august 2001 Figure 1. Launch of the first 12 3 ISS element (Zarya) by Proton on 20 November 1998. Figure 2. Launch of the second ISS element (Unity) by the Space Shuttle on 4 December 1998. (NASA) Figure 3. Launch of the first crew of three astronauts (Expedition-1) by Soyuz on 31 October 2000. Figure 4. Umberto Guidoni: the first ESA astronaut aboard the ISS, in April 2001. (NASA) Figure 5. Appearance of the ISS by the end of June 2001. (NASA) 5 4 10 FEUSTEL 24-08-2001 11:27 Page 3 the international space station is real! The International Space Station is Real ! J. Feustel-Büechl ESA Director of Manned Spaceflight and Microgravity, ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands ISS assembly status and outlook foremost – it is permitting the permanent crew The International Space Station (ISS) has made of three astronauts to perform its first enormous progress in the past year (Figs. 1-5) experiments in orbit. We have taken the first and is a reality in orbit. Despite the challenges real step in ISS operations and utilisation. faced by such a global programme, it is now providing operational experience and – first and As of end-July 2001, 18 launches have been performed (Table 1). The Expedition-1 first It has taken a huge effort to bring the International Space Station (ISS) Station crew boarded in November 2000, programme together. Many years of ups and downs, changes in opening the door even at this early stage to partnerships, redesigns and other impacts have influenced the operations and the first experiments. programme. But, finally, with the signature of the Intergovernmental Agreement on 29 January 1998 by 15 countries and the associated The assembly steps planned for the rest of this Memoranda of Understanding on the same day by the five Partner year (Table 2) will considerably enhance the space agencies, the legal foundations were established. This article Station. Further outfitting of the laboratories describes the achievements so far, and ESA’s plans for the future. already in orbit will allow a wider utilisation of the ISS to begin. The overall assembly schedule of more than 50 launches is expected Table 1. ISS launches performed up to mid-July 2001. to be completed around 2005. At that stage, the Station will have a mass of about 450 t, Flight Nr. Launch/Return Date Element/Task Vehicle an overall size of 120 m by 75 m and an operational crew of 6 to 7 astronauts (Fig. 6). 1: 1A/R 20 Nov 98 Zarya (FGB) Proton 2: 2A 4/15 Dec 98 Unity (Node-1) Shuttle STS-88 3: 2A1 27 May/3 Jun 98 Logistics Shuttle STS-96 The ESA contributions to the orbital 4: 2A.2A 19/29 May 00 Logistics/ Reboost Shuttle STS-101 complex 5: 1R 12 Jul 00 Zvezda (Service Module) Proton Ten European countries (Germany, France, 6: 1P 6 Aug 00 Logistics (Progress-M1) Soyuz Italy, Belgium, Denmark, The Netherlands, 7: 2A.2B 8/20 Sept 00 Logistics (Outfitting) Shuttle STS-106 Norway, Sweden, Spain and Switzerland) 8: 3A 11/24 Oct 00 Z1 Truss Shuttle STS-92 contribute through ESA as a Partner Agency to 9: 2R 31 Oct 00/21 Mar 01 Expedition-1 Crew/Rescue Soyuz 10: 2P 16 Nov 00 Logistics (Progress-M1) Soyuz the development and exploitation of the ISS. 11: 4A 30 Nov/11 Dec 00 P6 Truss/solar arrays Shuttle STS-97 The European contribution (Fig. 7) amounts 12: 5A 7/20 Feb 00 Destiny (US Lab) Shuttle STS-98 to about 3.5 billion Euros and corresponds to 13: 3P 26 Feb 01 Logistics (Progress-M) Soyuz 8.3% in utilisation rights of the western part of st 14: 5A.1 8/21 Mar 01 Expedition-2 Crew/1 MPLM Shuttle STS-102 the Station. Europe’s contribution centres 15: 4P 12 Apr 01 Logistics (Progress-M1) Soyuz 16: 6A 19 Apr/1 May 01 2nd MPLM/Canadarm2 Shuttle STS-100 around two core elements: the Columbus 17: 2S 28 Apr/Oct 01 Taxi Flight Soyuz laboratory (including its outfitting) and the 18: 7A 12/25 Jul 01 Quest Airlock Shuttle STS-104 Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV). While Columbus (Fig. 8) is our principal Table 2. ISS launches planned to end-2001. contribution to the ISS in-orbit configuration, Flight Nr. Planned Launch Element/Task Vehicle the ATV (Fig. 9) launched by Ariane-5 will be used to service the Station during its 19: 5P Jul 01 Logistics (Progress-M) Soyuz operational phase. ESA is also making a 20: 7A.1 mid-Aug 01 3rd MPLM/Logistics Shuttle STS-105 considerable number of smaller, but still 21: 4R Aug 01 Docking Compartment Proton important contributions, including Nodes-2 and 22: 6P Sep 01 Logistics (Progress-M1) Soyuz 23: 3S Oct 01 Taxi Flight Soyuz -3, the Cupola, the Data Management System 24: UF1 Nov 01 Expedition-3 Crew/4th MPLM Shuttle STS-108 of the Russian Segment, the European Robotic 25: 7P Dec 01 Logistics (Progress-M1) Soyuz Arm (ERA), the early-delivery items (Material Science Glovebox, Hexapod, MELFI Minus 11 FEUSTEL 24-08-2001 11:28 Page 4 r bulletin 107 — august 2001 6 Figure 6. How the ISS will appear when its assembly is completed. (ESA/D. Ducros) Figure 7. ESA’s contributions to the ISS. Figure 8. The Columbus laboratory. (ESA/D. Ducros) Figure 9. The Automated Transfer Vehicle. (ESA/D. Ducros) 8 7 12 FEUSTEL 24-08-2001 11:29 Page 5 the international space station is real! 9 Table 3. ESA contributions to the ISS. Element / Task Application Delivery / Launch Date Columbus module Module for life and physical sciences experiments and Delivery to Kennedy commercial application, with external accommodation Space Center: Mar 2004 for astronomy, Earth observation and technology Launch : Oct 2004/1E Automated Transfer Vehicle Logistics vehicle, for upload of payloads, system Delivery to Kourou: spares, fuel and fluids to ISS. Capability for ISS orbit May 2004 reboost. Launched on Ariane-5, ATV will automatically First launch: Sep 2004 rendezvous and dock with the Russian Segment. Performs destructive reentry with ISS waste products Columbus Control Centre Operation of Columbus module, acquisition and End-2003 distribution of data ATV Control Centre Operation of ATV Aug 2003 ERA Support assembly and external maintenance tasks on 2005/2006 (TBC) Russian Segment DMS-R Guidance, navigation and control of Russian Segment 12 Jul 2000 Nodes-2 & -3 Interconnecting modules with 6 docking ports (4 radial, Node-2: Feb 2004 Eighty-degree Freezer), the Cryo- 2 axial) and 8 equipment/stowage/system racks Node-3: Jul 2005 Freezer and Crew Refrigerator Cupola Observation module for crew viewing of ISS robotic Jan 2005/2006 arm, visiting vehicles and Earth observations. Houses Freezer and participation in the ISS Robotic Work Station, to control Canadarm2 Crew Return Vehicle (CRV) and its X-38 orbital test vehicle. Many of MPLM/ECLS Pressure, temperature, humidity and ventilation All hardware delivered control of the three ASI MPLM logistics modules by 2000, Launch: first these additional contributions are two MPLMs 2001 barter items, aimed at achieving ARD exploitation Evaluation of the flight data of the Atmospheric Launched on Ariane- either early utilisation or other Reentry Demonstrator (ARD) vehicle 503 21 Oct 1998 goods and services received from ART/X-38 European elements of X-38 prototype of the ISS Crew Hardware delivery 2002 our partners as compensation on Return Vehicle, covering several mechanical items Launch: orbital flight a no-exchange-of-funds basis. (including hot structures, landing gear, etc) scheduled in spring aerodynamics, parafoil GNC, etc 2003 Together (Table 3; Figs. 10–20), these deliveries give Europe an Crew Return Vehicle Fleet of 3-4 lifeboat / rescue vehicles for the 7-man First operational CRV ISS crew in the event of crew illness or Station 2006/7 important role – about 40% of all emergency evacuation launches to the Station involve Mission Data Base European-developed hardware. Central engineering and operations data base Cryo-Freezer Biolab sample storage 2005 / UF-6 Status of the ESA contributions Crew Refrigerator Freezer Food transfer and storage 2004/on each MPLM in Some of the European deliveries, 2005 such as the Data Management MELFI Biolab sample storage 2004 / UF-3 System (DMS-R) of the Russian Microgravity Science Glovebox Small experiments 2002 / UF-2 Segment or the Mission Data Base, Hexapod Instrument pointing 2005 / UF-4 have already been completed and delivered and are operational in Biolab Biotechnology experiments 2004 / 1E orbit or on the ground. Most of the Fluid Science Laboratory Fluid dynamics experiments 2004 / 1E other European contributions are in European Physiology Modules Human medical research 2004 / 1E an advanced state, and some are close to delivery. Columbus and Material Science Laboratory Material processing 2002 / UF-3 ATV both recently passed European Modular Botanical experiments 2004 / UF-3 important design steps. Columbus Cultivation System successfully completed its Critical Protein Crystallisation Quick turnaround experiments 2004 / 1E Design Review (CDR) in January Diagnostics Facility 13 FEUSTEL 24-08-2001 11:29 Page 6 r bulletin 107 — august 2001 11 10 12 Figure 10. The Columbus flight unit awaits final integration. 13 Figure 11. The completed Node-2 structure at Alenia Spazio, Turin. Figure 12. The Cupola structural test article during the modal survey test, July 2001. (Alenia) Figure 13. The ATV structural-thermal model at Alenia Spazio, Turin. Figure 14. The X-38 V201 spacecraft during final assembly at the NASA Johnson Space Center. Figure 15. The Biolab Engineering Model, June 2001, at Astrium (F). Figure 16. The European Robotic Arm being prepared for testing in the Large Space Simulator at ESTEC.