International Space StationFrom TinWiki.orgThe International Space Station (ISS) is a continuously manned science lab orbiting Earth conducting scientific, technological and commercial research supporting the exploration of space. While the United States and Russia primarily staff, equip, service, and maintain the ISS, fourteen additional space agencies have participated in it's construction and continue to participate in it's maintenance, research and staff. The ISS is equipped to staff a rotating crew of three, the first arriving on November 2, 2000. The average stay for a crew member is six months, but have lasted as long as one year. It is designed to remain operational until 2016 or beyond. Being a modular construction parts can be replaced as new technology is available and parts become redundant. The station has an indefinite lifespan if funding and the incentive to support it is available. The permanent crew compliment is expected to be six by 2009, but as many as 16 could be aboard temporarily in 2010 if a Soyuz crew and Shuttle crew are at the station at the same time. Hypothetically, six ISS crew, seven Shuttle crew, and three Soyuz crew could be at the station if missions overlap.
Upon completion the ISS will be 191 feet long x 146 feet wide x 90ft high and is already visible with the naked eye from Earth.
[edit] HistoryFollowing the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, Russia's orbiting space station, MIR, the first with a modular design, was wearing down and slated to retire in 2001. Russia had intended to build the MIR2 and the United State was partnering with European, Canadian and Japanese space agencies to build Space Station Freedom. However, because of funding problems, 'Freedom' never made it off of the drawing board. In 1993, the United States and Russia agreed to work together to build the International Space Station. In 1998, a Russian proton rocket carried the first module, Zarya, into orbit. Two years later the second module, Unity, was launched, followed by a third, Zvezda, which then rendered the ISS habitable. The first crew arrived at the ISS on November 2, 2000. This crew consisted of three individuals: Bill Shepherd ( ISS Flight Commander), Yuri Gidzenko (Soyuz Commander) and Sergei Krikalev (Flight Engineer). Additional modules and components are still being added. The ISS is scheduled for completion by 2010.
[edit] Participating Space AgenciesThere are currently 16 space agencies involved in the construction and maintenance of the ISS:
Russia ROSCOSMOS Canada CSA Europe ESA Japan JAXA United Kingdom BNSC Norway NCS Sweden SNSB France CNES Brazil AEB Belgium BELSPO Netherlands NIVR Denmark DTU Germany DLR Italy ASI Spain INTA
[edit] ISS Major Elements: Modules, Nodes and ComponentsThe following elements comprise the construction related to the International Space Station. Installation dates are included for each section.
[edit] Zarya Module - Functional Cargo Block
The module was fully funded by the United States of America but was built in Russia and launched on their vehicle. "The Zarya Module, also known by the technical term Functional Cargo Block and the Russian acronym FGB, was the first component launched for the International Space Station. This module was designed to provide the station's initial propulsion and power. The 19,323-kilogram (42,600-pound) pressurized module was launched on a Russian Proton rocket. The Zarya Module is 12.6 meters long and 4.1 meters at its widest point.
[edit] Unity Node 1
Unity Node 1 was added to the station on December 8th, 1998. The physical dimensions are 5.5 meters long, 4.6 meters in diameter and fabricated of aluminum. It includes six docking ports for connecting other modules.
[edit] Zvezda Service Module
Zvezda was docked to the station on July 25th, 2000. This module was the first truly Russian component to be added to the station as it was funded, constructed, and launched by the Russian government. The exterior shell was completed in February of 1985 and the interior equipment installation finished by October 1986. Due to delays in the program the launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan did not occur until July 12, 2000. At launch it had a weight of 19,051 kilograms. It has a total length of 13.1 meters and a diameter of 4.15 meters. The wingspan of the solar panels is 29.7 meters.
Zvezda arrived on orbit using an Energia built Proton rocket and was attached to the aft docking port of the Zayria module almost two weeks after. As it was such an important element of the station NASA had a second unit called an Interim Control Module built and ready in the event of a launch failure by Russia. Without Zvezda or a control module the other sections of the station would drag on the atmosphere and crash to Earth due to orbital decay. This section not only carries the thrusters to boost and steer the station, but provides docking facilities, crew quarters, a galley with fridge and freezer, and the all important toilet facilities. Zvezda also has an aft docking port for use by supply ships and crew transfer vehicles.
[edit] Destiny Laboratory
2/1/2001
[edit] Canadarm2
[edit] Quest Joint Airlock
[edit] Pirs Airlock9/16/2001
[edit] Integrated Truss StructureDesigned primarily to hold the massive rotating solar panels that supply power to the station, truss sections also contain rechargeable batteries, gyroscopes, and a plethora of other vital components.
The truss sections are designated with a "P" for port side and "S" for starboard.
The Z1 Truss is the the center section that all further truss segments extend from.
[edit] Z1 Truss
[edit] P6 Integrated TrussAlso called the P6 Photovoltaic Module, this section was lifted to the ISS on a NASA Space Shuttle and installed on March 12th of 2000. Component statistic are 4.9 x 4.9 x 4.9 meters(16 x 16 x 16 feet)with a mass of 7,700 kilograms(17,000 lbs.). [edit] S0 TrussSize: 13.4 meters x 4.6 meters x 1.8 meters Installed 4/11/2002 [edit] S1 TrussSTS-112 lifted "S1" to the station on October 10th of 2002, the "S1 Truss" forms another section of what is called the backbone of the station. It's size is 13.7 meters x 4.6 meters x 1.8 meters and has a weight of 14,124 kilograms. [edit] P1 TrussSTS-113 lifted the P1 Truss on 11/26/2002 [edit] P3/P4 Truss9/12/2006 [edit] P5 Truss12/12/2006 [edit] Harmony Node 2
[edit] Columbus Laboratory
[edit] Kibo, Japanese Experiment Module (JEM)
Built by Japan's JAXA space agency this is one of the largest and most complex sections of the International Space Station. The Kibo required three space shuttle flight to move all components into orbit. [edit] Solar Panels And Heat Radiators[edit] Crew Health And ExerciseCrew health is always under close scrutiny and just being aboard the station makes a flier's body an observable medical experiment. Crew members are required to spend a set time each day to ward of loss of bone and the wasting of muscles.
[edit] Bone Loss & Muscle Mass
[edit] Treadmill
[edit] Resistance Exercise
[edit] Medical Training
[edit] Medical Emergencies[edit] Robotic Surgery[edit] Facts & Trivia
[edit] Space Debris & MitigationLow Earth Orbit(LEO) has become increasingly polluted with debris from man made objects exploding or colliding with other objects. This debris includes spent rocket sections, an entire used spacesuit discarded from ISS, and items as small as dropped tools, to things as small as flecks of paint. Meteoroids are also a concern because of the incredible speeds that they approach the Earth. Most object larger than the size of a softball can be tracked and monitored by NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command). NORAD is located inside the Cheyenne Mountain complex deep underground. This command center is never open to the public and is kept under a certain veil of secrecy. When a possible collision is determined to occur with the ISS the station can increase or decrease it's orbital altitude to avoid an object. This is a rare occurrence and has only been used twice up to 2008. The station is also aligned in orbit to maximize protection for the crew in the event of a collision and additional exterior aluminum panels have been installed in areas considered to be high risk.
[edit] Construction Costs & DelaysThe International Space Station is said to be the most expensive scientific endeavor undertaken by man. It is estimated, however not verified, that the total cost to build and maintain the ISS will be in excess of $100 billion dollars. The re-entry destruction and the loss of seven crew aboard Columbia (STS-107), grounded all NASA Shuttle flights for three years. This was a key factor in construction delays of the ISS.
[edit] Spacecraft Servicing The ISSThere are currently four types of spacecraft that transfer humans and cargo to and from the ISS. Japan will soon add a fifth servicing vehicle called the H2 Transfer Vehicle for cargo only. Future plans are in place to have the H2 converted and rated to carry people. There are also private companies involved in developing spacecraft that will be able to carry cargo, crew, and civilians to and from the station.
[edit] American Space Shuttles
The Space Shuttle is launched using one main fuel tank containing liquid oxygen and hydrogen. This large, heavily insulated tank feeds fuel to the Shuttle's main engines. Pilots have thrust control of all shuttle engines fed by the main tank until separation. They also have hydrazine fueled attitude thrusters to adjust trajectory. Two adjacent solid fuel rocket booster engines (SRB), are attached to the main tank at lift-off to increase initial launch capability. These are shed in the first few minutes of flight and parachuted into the ocean for recovery and reuse. Thrust duration of SRBs can be specifically adjusted in the manufacturing stage depending on the total weight of all components expected to be lifted on a particular flight. But once lit, there is no thrust control over the boosters by ground control or the pilot. They burn until the solid fuel is exhausted and detach from the main tank. The Space Shuttles are designed to return to Earth and land on a runway. They can carry seven crew and have a large capacity for cargo. There are currently three Space Shuttles in the fleet with all of them due to retire in 2010. A review of operations may extend this beyond the scheduled retirement date to continue NASA access to space without having to depend on Russian Soyuz seats being purchase by the U.S.A. The Enterprise Shuttle (a test bed that never flew in space) sits at the Smithsonian Flight Museum. Two Space Shuttles have been destroyed in accidents. Challenger was the first, just after launch on January 28, 1986. Then Columbia, the second to be destroyed, happened on February 1, 2003 during re-entry. Seven crew members lost their lives in each incident.
[edit] Russian Soyuz Capsules
Designed to launch and return a maximum of three persons the Soyuz has proven to be a very reliable vehicle. One craft is always docked at the station for the crew to use as an escape pod in the event of an emergency. The Soyuz can return to Earth within an hour and a half to two hours if necessary. The Soyuz has very limited cargo capacity, but can remain in space for over six months and is truly a work horse that the ISS depends on.
Only the center section can return to a ground landing because it has an ablative shield for re-entry. The engine and solar panel section plus the docking section are shed before re-entry so that they burn up in the atmosphere. This is also the only known craft to carry a weapon (hand gun), due to the uncertainty of the landing zone and the risk of wild animals. (so they say). It can take anywhere from minutes to hours for a recovery team to arrive, and in a few cases it has taken several days to reach a Soyuz landing site.
[edit] Russian Progress Cargo Carriers
This spacecraft is designed to carry cargo, fuel, water and food to the station and remains docked and pressurized for extended periods of time. As supplies are transferred out of the carrier by the crew it is filled with waste and garbage. Once detached from the station it maneuvers into a steep decaying orbit to burn up in the atmosphere. No humans travel to the station on Progress ships, and obviously no one would be aboard for the complete fiery destruction it undergoes during the return. Progress 30 was launched Sept. 10th 2008 to haul more than 2.5 tons of fresh supplies to the space station's three crew, including 2,866 pounds (1,300 kg) of fresh food, clothing, equipment and other dry cargo. The space tug also carried about 1,918 pounds of propellant for the space station's thrusters, 110 pounds (50 kg) of oxygen and 463 pounds (210 kg) of water. [edit] European Integrated Cargo Carriers (ATV)
The ATV is not rated for the transfer of humans but has a large cargo capacity to bring supplies to the space station. Once on orbit it is capable of locating the station and making a fully automated docking. No crew or ground control intervention is required for it to make an approach and dock with ISS, but an ISS crew member is required to be at a button that will abort contact if a problem occurs. After a mission to ISS the vehicle burns in the atmosphere on re-entry.
[edit] Future Craft For Crew And Supply Transfer[edit] JAXA H-II Transfer Vehicle[edit] NASA OrionLockheed Martin Corp was awarded the contract to build Orion on Aug. 31, 2006.
[edit] Private Companies
[edit] Chinese Involvement
[edit] Space Suits Used For ISSCurrently four main types of space suits are used in transportation to and from the station and for working outside the ISS.
[edit] NASA EVA Suit
[edit] Tetherless EVA Pack
[edit] Russian Orlon EVA Suit
[edit] NASA Flight Suit
Eileen Collins is pictured above wearing the flight suit all crew and passengers aboard the space shuttle must wear for ascent and decent to and from space. This suit is not designed for an EVA but will maintain an astronaut for a short time in the event of a depressurization, smoke in the cabin, or lack of oxygen. The use of Nomex also makes the suit fire retardant.
[edit] Russian Flight Suit
[edit] Ground ObservationTo actually view the ISS, as well as many other orbiting objects, just know when and where to look. At times it can rival Venus in magnitude. It is a spectacular sight to see and is twice as spectacular to view just before and after docking/undocking with the space shuttle. These sites will pinpoint visible pass information just by entering a specific location.
[edit] See Also On tinWiki[edit] ATS Discussion Threads
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