BR-ISS-COVER-137 06-04-1999 15:32 Page 1 BR-137 February 1999 The International Space Station A Guide for European Users nn > < Contact: ESA Publications Division c/o ESTEC, PO Box 299, 2200 AG Noordwijk, The Netherlands > Tel. (31) 71 565 3400 - Fax (31) 71 565 5433 < Directorate of Manned Spaceflight and Microgravity Direction des Vols Habités et de la Microgravité BR-137 February 1999 The International Space Station A Guide for European Users > < Contents INTRODUCTION 5 Purpose 5 Scope 5 Status 5 OVERVIEW 6 Background 6 ISS: General Description 7 Payload Transportation and Logistics Carriers 10 Distributed Station Systems 11 Command and Data Handling (C&DH) System 11 Communications and Tracking System (C&TS) 12 Electrical Power System (EPS) 13 Thermal Control System (TCS) 14 Guidance, Navigation and Control (GN&C) 14 Flight Crew Systems 14 Environmental Control & Life Support System (ECLSS) 15 Information Services 15 Environment Considerations 16 Natural Environment 16 Induced Environment 17 ACCOMMODATION AND UTILISATION RESOURCES CAPABILIITIES FOR PAYLOADS 19 Overall ISS Utilisation Capabilities 19 European Utilisation Capabilities 19 Columbus Laboratory Characteristics 20 Basic Accommodation Units 20 Columbus Resources and Services to Payloads 22 Data Management Services (DMS) 22 Electrical Power 22 Vacuum and Venting System (VVS) 23 Cooling Water 23 Nitrogen Gas 23 Video Communications 24 Telemetry and Telecommand Links 24 Fire Detection and Suppression (FDS) 24 Emergency, Warning and Caution and Safing (EWACS) 24 Cabin Air 24 Columbus User Accommodation and Payload Interfaces 25 Pressurised Payloads within the Columbus Laboratory module 25 2 Columbus Laboratory Centre Aisle Payloads 25 External Payloads on the Columbus Laboratory Starboard End Cone 27 External Payloads on Partner Accommodation Sites 28 MULTI-USER FACILITIES AND SUPPORT EQUIPMENT 30 European Pressurised Multi-user Facilities in the US Laboratory 32 European Pressurised Multi-user Facilities in the Columbus Laboratory 38 European External Facilities on US Express Pallets 45 European External Facilities on Russian Elements 48 Support Systems for Pressurised Facilities 50 Support Equipment for External Payloads 54 Standard Payload Outfitting Equipment 55 Partner Research Facilities. 58 Partner Payload/Laboratory Support Equipment 58 Partner Standard Payload Outfitting Equipment 59 PAYLOAD PROGRAM CYCLE 60 Payload Reviews and Planning Template 60 Flight Planning 61 Analytical Integration 63 Physical Checkout 63 Launch Integration 64 On-Orbit Operations 64 Landing De-Integration 65 Payload Return 65 Safety 65 Smaller Payloads 65 HOW TO GET ACCESS TO THE SPACE STATION 66 ESA Points of Contact 69 ESA Member States Points of Contact 69 International Partners Points of Contact 69 FURTHER STATION FAMILIARISATION 70 Space Station User Information Centre 70 Reference Documents 71 Information Documents 72 ABBREVIATIONS & ACRONYMS 73 3 Introduction Purpose Scope The International Space Station: A Guide This guide is oriented towards European for European Users has been prepared to users, emphasising European provide prospective users of the contributions to the Station and International Space Station (ISS) with basic European-specific aspects of access and information about the elements being user support. Users may come from assembled, the user facilities being academic, applications or industrial developed and the programme processes communities as well as from national- or involved in flight opportunities. European-level communities. The information highlights the More detailed information will be needed characteristics of the Station systems and after this first introduction; further the wide range of capabilities being possibilities are provided at the end of the provided for user utilisation. A road map guide. A counterpart to this guide is the is provided to help users gain access into European document ‘Exploiting the the system. International Space Station: A Mission for Europe’ which describes the wide range of research and applications that can be conducted aboard the ISS. It also summarises the currently identified major research directions of the benefiting main disciplines: • Physical Sciences and Applications: • Space Life Sciences and Medical Applications; • Observing Sciences (Space Science and Earth Observation); • Applications and Space Technology. Status The guide reflects the status of the ISS as of end-1998. Updates are planned to reflect the best-known information on the ISS programme and utilisation possibilities. The ISS technical data given in the following chapters were compiled from a number of sources referenced in the final chapter ‘Further Station Familiarisation’. 5 International Space Station Overview This chapter provides an overview of the Agency (RSA) provide the major technical characteristics of the ISS foundation blocks for the Station elements as a prelude to the detailed (Table 1). The European Space Agency utilisation accommodation and resource (ESA) and the National Space information given in the following Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) chapters. provide additional elements that significantly enhance those blocks, and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Background provides an essential mobile robotics A new Intergovernmental Agreement servicing capability. (IGA) was concluded on 29 January 1998 between the governments of the five The provision of these elements gives International Partners – Europe (11 each ISS Partner certain rights for Station participating States), Canada, Japan, utilisation as well as participation in its Russia and USA. This new IGA enlarges management and operations. For the earlier 1988-partnership agreement example, each Partner has the right to by including Russia in the largest provide suitably qualified flight crew. international cooperative civil space Each Partner may also access the Station programme ever undertaken. using its own transportation system. Nevertheless, each Partner has to It is the responsibility of the US National develop and maintain the elements that Aeronautics and Space Administration it provides, as well as participate in the (NASA) to lead the ISS programme equitable sharing of the Station's development and implementation, and in common operating costs. conjunction with the Russian Space T able 1. Major ISS Elements to be Pr ovided by the International Par tners United States Russia ¥ Space Station infrastructure elements ¥ Space Station infrastructure elements ¥ Laboratory modules and equipment for attached ¥ Research modules and equipment for attached payloads payloads ¥ Flight elements to supply ISS ¥ Flight elements to supply and reboost ISS ¥ Ground infrastructure elements ¥ Ground infrastructure elements Canada Europe Japan ¥ Mobile servicing system ¥ Columbus Laboratory ¥ Japanese Experiment Module ¥ Special Purpose Dexterous ¥ Automated Transfer V ehicle ¥ Japanese Exposure Facility Manipulator ¥ Outfitting Elements ¥ Flight elements to supply ISS ¥ Ground infrastructure elements 6 ESA has acquired through its ISS: General Description Fig. 1. The ISS orbit contributions the following utilisation The Space Station will be a permanently provides coverage of shares: inhabited outpost in low Earth orbit and most of the world’s inhabited regions. composed of flight elements, provided by • 51% usage of the user all five Partners, and associated ground accommodation of the Columbus elements to support on-orbit operations Laboratory, incl. attachment points and utilisation. • 8.3% usage of the on-orbit utilisation resources (eg electrical power, crew A summary of the ISS key characteristics time), as well as the right to purchase at the end of the 5-year build-up period launch & return, and Tracking & Data is provided in Table 2. ISS assembly Relay Satellite (TDRS) system began in November 1998 with the communications services. launch of the US-procured/Russian-built ‘Zarya’ Control Module. ESA has acquired further crew flight opportunities commensurate with its On the second assembly flight, in utilisation resources allocation. December 1998, the US-built ‘Unity’ resource node was attached to Zarya. This will be followed by the third assembly flight with the Russian-built T able 2. ISS Characteristics at Completion Service Module. A 3-person Permanent T russ length 108 m International Human Presence Capability T otal module length 74 m will then begin in early 2000. At that Mass about 420 t time, the ISS will already be flying at an Maximum power 110 k W average altitude of 407 km in its 51.6° output inclination orbit (Fig. 1). Pressurised volume 1200 m 3 Atmospheric pressure 1013 mbar European users will have some early Orbital altitude 370-460 k m payload utilisation opportunities before Orbital inclination 51.6… the launch of the Columbus Laboratory, Orbital velocity 29 000 km/h Attitude local horizontal/vertical once the US Laboratory module is on-orbit and operational for users, as Minimum crew 6 well as on the Integrated Truss Assembly Data rate uplink 72 kbit/s Date rate downlink 150 Mbit/s following the check-out of the Mobile Ku-band coverage 6 8 % Remote Servicer Base System (MBS) and S-band coverage 5 0 % the arrival of the first Express Pallets for Expected lifetime >10 years external payloads in 2002. 7 The 6-person Permanent International Human Presence Capability will be established in late 2002. The Columbus Laboratory will be coupled to the ISS early in 2003 and Station assembly will be completed (Fig. 2) with the launch of the US Habitation module. A summary of the major