"6_10_7_4_2.TXT" (31811 bytes) was created on 08-11-89 MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER Traditional Center Roles and Responsibilities The Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, was established on July 1, 1960 through the transfer to NASA of part of the U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Agency. The Center was named in honor of General George C. Marshall, the Army Chief of Staff during World War II, Secretary of State, and Nobel Prize Winner for his world-renowned "Marshall Plan." Rocket pioneer Dr. Wernher von Braun was the Center's first director. Marshall is well-prepared for its Freedom Station responsibilities, having managed America's first space station, Skylab, which was launched in 1973. In addition to having overall program management of Skylab, Marshall was responsible for much of Skylab's hardware and science experiment development and for the integration of the hardware and experiments into Skylab. Marshall is also NASA's lead center for Spacelab, a Space Shuttle-based, short-stay space station that is serving as a stepping stone to the permanently-manned Freedom Station. Marshall developed selected Spacelab hardware and provided technical and programmatic monitoring of the international Spacelab development effort. The Center is also responsible for managing many Spacelab missions that include developing mission plans, integrating payloads, training payload crews, and controlling payload operations. Marshall is the home of NASA's Payload Operations Control Center (POCC) from which Spacelab and other major science missions are controlled. The Marshall Center has managed many successful space projects since its creation nearly three decades ago. It provided the Redstone rocket that put Alan Shepard into space in 1961. It developed the Saturn family of rockets that boosted man to the Moon in 1969. Saturns were also used in 1973 and 1974 to launch Skylab as well as Skylab crews, and in 1975 to carry the Apollo spacecraft into Earth orbit for the historic link-up with the Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Marshall payloads have included the three Pegasus (1965), micrometeoroid detection satellites; the Lunar Roving Vehicle (1971) for use on the lunar surface; and the High Energy Astronomy Observatories launched in 1977, 1978 and 1979 to study stars and star-like objects. In helping to reach the nation's present and future goals in space, the Center is working on more projects today than at any time in its history. In addition to its Space Station Freedom and Spacelab roles, Marshall provides the Space Shuttle main engines, the external tank, and solid rocket boosters for each Shuttle mission. Marshall is NASA's lead center for the Hubble Space Telescope, scheduled for launch in December 1989. Other current Marshall projects include the Advanced Solid Rocket Motor (ASRM); the Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF); the Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle (OMV); the Inertial Upper State (IUS); the Transfer Orbit Stage (TOS); and the Tethered Satellite System. The Marshall Center is working to develop an unmanned cargo-carrying version of the Space Shuttle. This Shuttle-C (for cargo) could triple the lift capability of the current Shuttle system. Other future-oriented programs include studies focusing on missions to Mars, a return to the Moon and establishment of bases on both bodies, and a series of Earth-observing experiments and space-based facilities to help us protect our environment and more fully understand the planet on which we live. Marshall facilities in Huntsville include structural and test firing facilities for large space systems, unique and specialized laboratories for a wide variety of studies, and facilities for assembling and testing large space hardware. It also operates the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Slidell Computer Complex in Louisianna, and tests Space Shuttle main engines at the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER Space Station Freedom Unique Activities U.S. Laboratory Module Marshall is responsible for the U.S. Laboratory Module, capable of supporting multidiscipline payloads, including materials research, development and processing, life sciences research, and other space science investigations in a pressurized area. User-provided equipment in the module includes furnaces for growing semiconductor crystals, electrokinetic devices for separating pharmaceuticals, support equipment for low-gravity experiments, and a centrifuge for variable gravity experiments in life sciences. Marshall is responsible for the Habitation Module for eating, sleeping, personal hygiene, waste management, recreation, health maintenance and other habitation functions requiring pressurized space. The same size as the U.S. Laboratory, the Habitation Module is able to accommodate up to eight astronauts. These astronauts will be able to exercise in the Habitation Module, and they will be able to monitor their health through vital signs, x-rays, and blood samples. Habitation Module Logistics Elements Marshall is responsible for the logistics elements required for the transport of cargo to and from the station for resupply of items required for crew, station and payloads; and for the on-orbit storage of these cargoes. A key element will be the Pressurized Logistics Carrier to carry items used inside the station modules. Other elements include Unpressurized Logistics Carriers for the transport of spares for the exterior of the station, fluids, propellants, and dry cargo. Environmental Control & Life Support , Internal Thermal Control and Audio/Video Systems Marshall is responsible for the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS). The ECLSS provides a shirtsleeve environment for the astronauts in all the pressurized modules of Space Station Freedom. A key feature of the ECLSS is the regenerative design in the air revitalization and water reclamation systems. Freedom Station's internal thermal control and audio/video systems are also provided by Marshall. Resource Node Structure Marshall is responsible for the structure of the Resource Nodes, required to interconnect the primary pressurized elements of the manned portion of Space Station Freedom. Resource Nodes also house key control functions. Marshall provides the Resource Node structures, berthing mechanisms, racks, the ECLSS system, internal thermal control, and internal audio and video communication systems. MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER Traditional Center Roles and Responsibilities The Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, was established on July 1, 1960 through the transfer to NASA of part of the U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Agency. The Center was named in honor of General George C. Marshall, the Army Chief of Staff during World War II, Secretary of State, and Nobel Prize Winner for his world-renowned "Marshall Plan." Rocket pioneer Dr. Wernher von Braun was the Center's first director. Marshall is well-prepared for its Freedom Station responsibilities, having managed America's first space station, Skylab, which was launched in 1973. In addition to having overall program management of Skylab, Marshall was responsible for much of Skylab's hardware and science experiment development and for the integration of the hardware and experiments into Skylab. Marshall is also NASA's lead center for Spacelab, a Space Shuttle-based, short-stay space station that is serving as a stepping stone to the permanently-manned Freedom Station. Marshall developed selected Spacelab hardware and provided technical and programmatic monitoring of the international Spacelab development effort. The Center is also responsible for managing many Spacelab missions that include developing mission plans, integrating payloads, training payload crews, and controlling payload operations. Marshall is the home of NASA's Payload Operations Control Center (POCC) from which Spacelab and other major science missions are controlled. The Marshall Center has managed many successful space projects since its creation nearly three decades ago. It provided the Redstone rocket that put Alan Shepard into space in 1961. It developed the Saturn family of rockets that boosted man to the Moon in 1969. Saturns were also used in 1973 and 1974 to launch Skylab as well as Skylab crews, and in 1975 to carry the Apollo spacecraft into Earth orbit for the historic link-up with the Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Marshall payloads have included the three Pegasus (1965), micrometeoroid detection satellites; the Lunar Roving Vehicle (1971) for use on the lunar surface; and the High Energy Astronomy Observatories launched in 1977, 1978 and 1979 to study stars and star-like objects. In helping to reach the nation's present and future goals in space, the Center is working on more projects today than at any time in its history. In addition to its Space Station Freedom and Spacelab roles, Marshall provides the Space Shuttle main engines, the external tank, and solid rocket boosters for each Shuttle mission. Marshall is NASA's lead center for the Hubble Space Telescope, scheduled for launch in December 1989. Other current Marshall projects include the Advanced Solid Rocket Motor (ASRM); the Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF); the Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle (OMV); the Inertial Upper State (IUS); the Transfer Orbit Stage (TOS); and the Tethered Satellite System. The Marshall Center is working to develop an unmanned cargo-carrying version of the Space Shuttle. This Shuttle-C (for cargo) could triple the lift capability of the current Shuttle system. Other future-oriented programs include studies focusing on missions to Mars, a return to the Moon and establishment of bases on both bodies, and a series of Earth-observing experiments and space-based facilities to help us protect our environment and more fully understand the planet on which we live. Marshall facilities in Huntsville include structural and test firing facilities for large space systems, unique and specialized laboratories for a wide variety of studies, and facilities for assembling and testing large space hardware. It also operates the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Slidell Computer Complex in Louisianna, and tests Space Shuttle main engines at the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER Elements and Systems U.S. Laboratory Module The U.S. Laboratory Module is a pressurized cylinder, about 13.5 meters (44 feet) long and 4.22 meters (14 feet) in diameter, located below the lower face of the transverse boom and attached perpendicular and just to the right of center on the boom. It provides a shirt-sleeve environment for astronauts engaged in research and experimentation. The U.S. Laboratory Module will be located at the station's center of gravity, primarily for microgravity research payloads. Purpose The U.S. Laboratory Module is a core element dedicated to multidiscipline payloads within a pressurized habitable volume. Principal types of activity include: ?#materials research and development most sensitive to acceleration; ?#research in basic science requiring long duration of extremely low acceleration levels; ?#life science research relating to adaptation to long exposure to microgravity; ?#control and monitoring of user-attached pressurized payloads and selected external attached payloads; ?#control and monitoring of user-attached pressurized payloads and selected external attached payloads; and ?#the intravehicular activity (IVA) including maintenance and servicing of orbital replacement units (ORUs), instruments, and equipment requiring workbench support in a pressurized volume The laboratory is pressurized to sea level pressure (14.7psi) and is able to accommodate up to 46 cubic meters (28 double racks) of payloads and payload support equipment located along the port and starboard walls of the lab. Along the floor and ceiling are the environmental control and life support system (ECLSS) components, other distributed system components, lab outfitting equipment and storage lockers. The life sciences centrifuge provides artificial gravity for living specimens. Structure The U.S. Laboratory Module consists of two basic structures and a number of layers. The primary structure consists of a pressurized shell, and a meteoroid shield. Sandwiched between these two layers is multilayer insulation for thermal protection. The exterior will also have attached point viewports and grappling fixtures. The secondary structure consists of mounting hardware which provides rigidity for attaching equipment racks and other equipment to the pressurized shell. Utility lines are also mounted to this secondary structure. Design The U.S. Laboratory Module uses a common design that is the prime building block for all the pressurized modules, based upon proven materials and processes. The approach results in a commonality of parts, assemblies, components and subsystems, leading to simplified manufacturing processes, a reduction in spares, and ease of maintenance. Design commonality also means that about 80% of the hardware needed for the station's two-fault tolerant life support systems will be common in the U.S. Laboratory, the Habitation Module, the Pressurized Logistics Carrier and the Resource Nodes. Furthermore, commonality of design and architectural continuity adds to a sense of familiar surroundings for the crew. A pleasing environment helps to promote crew productivity and a feeling of well-being. The modular design consistent throughout the station means that some components can be moved from one module to another, or to the nodes, as the station evolves and needs change. Designed with the user in mind, the U.S. Laboratory Module is segmented by work activity. For example, crystal growers need power, vacuum, thermal control and purge gas in close proximity. Life scientists need a glovebox, centrifuge, equipment washer and specimens readily available. Lightweight composite experiment racks are designed to tilt down for servicing, replacement, cleaning and transfer to the Shuttle or to other modules. MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER Elements and Systems The Habitation Module The United States provides the living quarters for use by all the astronauts. The Habitation Module is an environmentally protected enclosure intended for long duration crew activity and habitation functions like eating, sleeping, exercise, relaxation, medical operations and some work activities. It is the same size as the U.S. Laboratory Module and provides the same shirtsleeve environment. The Habitation Module is located parallel and next to the U.S. Laboratory Module in the cluster of pressurized modules that make up the manned base. Isolated somewhat from the other modules, the Habitation Module is part of the safe haven and emergency provisions for the crew. It has internal audio and video, data and information handling, and utility distribution and control. The floor and ceiling are used for stowage, equipment and provisions for crew and daily operations. The interior of the Habitation Module is outfitted for cooking, sleeping, personal hygiene and other human needs. At one end are vertical sleep restraints and emergency provisions. At the other end, where module-to-module berthing is located, are the galley and wardroom. The galley is equipped with an oven, refrigerator/freezer, trash compactor, hand and dish washer, and water supply. The wardroom, equipped with windows for looking out into space, is an area for entertainment, eating and monitoring of energy and life support systems. The middle of the Habitation Module is devoted to health and hygiene. Exercise and medical equipment is located on one side, and laundry, bathroom and shower are located on the other side. Special attention is devoted to the Habitation Module in order to assure a "crew friendly" environment. Materials and techniques learned from airplane cabin technology will keep noise levels at about 50 decibels--as quiet as a whisper. Each crew member will have a private, dedicated compartment for sleep, rest, quiet reading or just privacy. This dedicated area of at least 50 cubic feet for each of the eight astronauts will be sufficient for a change of clothes and limited stowage of personal effects for 90 to 100-day missions. Yet, the Habitation Module is also a work area. Work stations in this module include those dedicated to station operations, payload and experiment operations, proximity and maintenance operations, and crew health care. The Health Maintenance Facility includes test and diagnostic instruments, a patient restraint, medical provisions to care for or stabilize an injury or illness, exercise equipment and an environmental health subsystem. The last mentioned includes instruments for microbiological, toxicological, radiation,and accoustics measurements. A computerized health care system keeps track of medical supplies, crew condition and checkup schedules. The Habitation Module is designed for eight crew members. The tabletop panels adjust to provide various seating arrangements for the entire crew for meals, meetings, games, relaxation, or teleconferencing. Of course, since work schedules are expected to be scattered, four members of the crew may be eating supper while four others are eating breakfast. The exterior and shells for meteoroid and radiation protection are similar to those of the U.S. Laboratory Module. Thus, the "Hab and Lab" Modules are made from the same materials and same basic designs, resulting in commonality and an estimated 20% cost savings. While there is no "up" or "down" in weightless space, the Habitation Module does resemble a ultramodern, earthbound kitchen, den, laundry and entertainment center. The notable exception is the vertical sleep restraint system in place of bunkbeds. See the JSC section for more on outfitting the Habitation Module. MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER Elements and Systems Logistics Elements Logistics elements are cargo canisters attached to the station truss or to a module. They are designed to be replaced rather than refilled, containing either dry or fluid material, propellant, and experiments or specimens. The combination of cargoes will vary for each flight to and from the station, depending on the needs of the crew, payloads and platforms. Basically, Space Station Freedom requires two kinds of logistics elements: pressurized and unpressurized. Both are needed in the transport of equipment, supplies and fluids to the station, and to return experiment results, equipment and waste products back to Earth. These cylindrical carriers provide the logistics for the ground-to-orbit, on-orbit supply and storage, and return-to-ground requirements of the station. They are designed to fit in the cargo bay of the Space Shuttle. Pressurized Logistics Carrier (PLC) The basic purpose of the PLC is to provide ready, on-orbit access to cargo without extravehicular activity. That means the PLC is a habitable environment, providing a benign, temporary storage facility for cargo. Thus, the PLC contains all the electrical, thermal and air pressure requirements of an inhabited module. It will transport cargo, including life science (e.g., plants, etc.) specimens, requiring a pressurized environment and then transports equipment, products, plants, biological specimens and waste from the station. The interchangeable racks contain consumables, spare parts, experiment parts, and orbital replacement units (ORUs). The ORUs are modular components of the station that can be easily removed and replaced. Unpressurized Logistics Carriers (ULCs) Other ORUs, payloads and equipment do not need a pressurized environment. Therefore, several unpressurized logistics carriers will be berthed at station ports. Typical contents in the ULCs include dry cargo; ORUs for station, payloads and platforms; payloads and experiments for the station and platforms; and fluids for the crew, payloads and the ECLSS. Depending on the particular logistics resupply requirements for that flight, fresh logistics elements may be exchanged for expended ones. The newly arrived logistics elements will be transferred to the station, hooked up and checked out before the returning element is removed from the station and loaded into the Shuttle cargo bay for the return trip to Earth. The exact designs, sizes and positions for the various logistics carriers have not been decided. At present, a Pressurized Logistics Carrier will be located on the nadir of the station--that is, in the direction of the Earth. It will be approximately 14 feet in diameter; its length depends on the amount of cargo that will need to be pressurized and readily available. The PLC, structured like the nodes and modules for commonality of manufacture and design, will be cylindrical with conical ends. It will have attachment mechanisms to berth with both the station and the Shuttle. It will be berthed at either Node 1 or Node 2. The Unpressurized Logistics Carriers will also berth at station ports, but out on the truss. The diameter of the ULCs will, of course, be no wider than the Shuttle's cargo bay, and their lengths may vary. Certainly, one of the ULCs will contain dry cargo; another fluids and another propellant. As the station evolves, additional carriers will be required for enhancements to the power or thermal systems, longer duration missions, and, possibly, the refueling and resupply of spacecraft that stop off at Space Station Freedom on a mission to Mars and beyond. Presently, three PLCs and four ULCs are being built at Marshall. The PLCs feature a portable, automated inventory system using handheld bar code readers, plus a lightweight plug door and a roller floor to reduce ground handling. The ULCs are designed to accept square carriers and nearly 60 different combinations of carrier racks. MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER Elements and Systems Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Marshall is responsible for the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) which is divided into seven distinct subsystems: #1. temperature and humidity control, #2. atmosphere control and supply, #3. atmosphere revitalization, #4. water recovery and management, #5. fire detection and suppression, #6. waste management, and #7. support for extravehicular activity. Primarily, the ECLSS provides a habitable environment for crew and biological experiment specimens. The ECLSS represents a breakthrough in closed-loop life support, necessary for long duration missions to Mars and beyond. Water is recycled through the collection of H2O in both air and liquids, such as urine and sweat. The ECLSS produces potable water, even from urine, although such water is labeled "hygiene quality" for washing and cleansing. Carbon dioxide is collected in one of two ways, both of them producing more potable water. The CO2 collected can yield either water and carbon (the Bosch method) or water and methane (the Sabatier method.) Waste products are containerized and returned to Earth. There shall be no overboard dumping of solids or liquids. The only vital chemical for life, missing, is nitrogen which must be shipped and stored. Nevertheless, the hardware for the ECLSS is distributed throughout the pressurized modules to assure sealevel pressure, temperature, humidity, and air composition; as well as potable and hygiene water, and fire detection/ suppression equipment. For redundancy, repressurization and fire fighting equipment are located in both the Habitation and U.S. Laboratory Modules. Design challenges for the remainder of this decade included the ability of the ECLSS to maintain microbial and chemical system cleanliness during extended duration and multiple reuses of potable and hygiene water supplies. The ECLSS will collect, process, and dispense water as required, to meet the needs of the crew and any other users. It will pretreat waste water in order to prevent chemical breakdown and the growth of microbes. Post-treatment systems and a water quality monitoring system will ensure that the water provided to users is of sufficient quality. Waste management is another important function of the ECLSS. Waste products (e.g., metabolic waste, food/packaging, regenerative process effluents, hard copy waste, etc.) will be collected and processed for conversions to useful products or returned to Earth. Venting of gases shall be strictly controlled so as to avoid contamination or degradation of the exterior shells of modules, not to mention exposed payloads out on the truss. The ECLSS will provide support for servicing the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU), the Extravehicular Excursion Unit, and the EVA systems. It will provide the depressurization and repressurization of the two airlocks and the hyperbaric chamber. An interface will exist between the ECLSS and the Thermal Control System (TCS) for the removal of heat from the atmosphere of the pressurized elements. Commonality is stressed as the ECLSS is built into each of the U.S. Laboratory and Habitation Modules, nodes and the pressurized logistics carrier. It is estimated that four-fifths of all the hardware that is installed for the ECLSS in Space Station Freedom is identical. This commonality reduces manufacturing costs, lightens the load for spare parts, and makes repairs simpler and quicker. In the event of an accident or malfunction, the ECLSS is built with redundant life-critical hardware in both U.S. modules to satisfy safehaven requirements. The ECLSS represents design challenges not seen on previous space programs. The requirements for closed loop air and water systems extend human duration in space and reduce resupply flights significantly. MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER Elements and Systems Resource Node Structure Resource Nodes are required to interconnect the primary pressurized elements of Space Station Freedom. As such, these nodes also house key controls for operations. A resource node is a pressurized volume and an environmentally controlled enclosure. It is also a center for Space Station Freedom command, control, and operations. Distributed subsystems are located and controlled here at workstations. Each of the four Resource Nodes, located at each end of the U.S. Laboratory and Habitation Modules, provides a pressurized passageway to and from the modules and an interface to the Space Shuttle. Built like the other pressurized modules, the four nodes will be smaller, about 17 feet long and 14 feet in diameter, designed to reduce the amount of EVA time required to assemble the station. Node 1 is the spacecraft control center for both unmanned flight and man-tended operations. Located between the U.S. Laboratory and ESA's Columbus Module, Node 1 may also contain some components of the propulsion subsystem and attaches to the hyperbaric airlock, the Pressurized Logistics Carrier, and Node 2. Node 2 may become the man-tended command and control station, located between the Habitation Module and the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM). It provides spacecraft and station backup command and control work-stations. Node 3 is likely the primary command and central station for the pressurized modules, located at the forward end of the U.S. Laboratory Module. Node 3 is expected to contain the control mechanisms for the distributed utility systems, a control station for proximity operations, and a backup central station for the Mobile Servicing System (MSS). Node 4, connected to Node 3 and the forward end of the Habitation Module, features a Cupola, designed for proximity operations and berthing of the Space Shuttle. Node 4 provides the prime command and control for the Mobile Servicing System. Each of the four Nodes are designed and outfitted by Johnson Space Center but are built at Marshall Space Flight Center. Each node is a pressurized, environmentally controlled element designed to perform a variety of activities: *passage of crew and equipment *station command and control functions *external view for berthing and proximity operation *IVA control and monitoring electronics for the MSS and FTS *residence for station distributed systems *residence for supporting utility systems equipment *limited station storage *limited user payload operation Contingency access to the nodes shall be provided as soon as each is added to the station assembly. The final configuration of the four nodes has not been determined. Nevertheless, in the design stage, the Resource Node and Airlock System promises many tested and innovative features. Berthing mechanisms with flexible bellows and gimbals will provide better tolerance in the assembly phase. Subsystems will be mounted in the end cones for volumetric efficiency. The Cupola is being designed for maximum viewing with both portable and installed command and control consoles. Baseline requirements call for a nadir (earth-facing) and zenith (stellar-facing) Cupola. It must be able to dock an Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle (OMV) and accommodate two large astronauts. A Cupola cover can extend and retract for meteoroid protection. MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER Facilities Payload Operations Integration Center The Payload Operations Integration Center (POIC) will be used to "manage" or "control" real-time research operations, interfacing with the Space Station Control Center in Houston, Texas and various user facilities in other communities. As a control central point for payload operations, the POIC will integrate science operation centers and will house computer systems for mission planning system and analytical tools. Engineering Support Center The Engineering Support Center (ESC), an adjunct to the Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC), will provide Work Package 1 engineering support for real-time operations. The ESC serves as a control point for requests from the SSCS and the POIC for engineering support to operations. It also supports the engineering flight evaluation and anomaly resolution for Space Station Freedom. Payload Training Facility The Payload Training Facility (PTF) will provide for the development, maintenance and verification of payload operations training, including the hardware and software to support the training of payload crew, Payload Operations Integration Center personnel, experimenters and users. The PTF will provide both space station data as well as training. MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER Space Station Freedom Organization The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama been designated as the Work Package 1 Center. Work Package 1 includes the design and manufacture of the astronaut's living quarters, known as the Habitation Module; the U.S. Laboratory Module; logistics elements, used for resupply and storage; node structures connecting the modules; the Environmental Control and Life Support System; and the thermal control and audio/video systems located within the pressurized modules. MSFC has established the Level III Space Station Freedom Projects Office to manage and direct the various design, development and operational activities needed to successfully complete the Work Package 1 assignment. A unique aspect of this organization is its emphasis upon Environmental Control and Life Support Systems in spaceflight. Preparing accommodations for a crew of eight for 90-day stretches is vastly complex, but to develop the world's first closed-loop life support system is a real challenge for Marshall Space Flight Center, preparing the U.S. for longer duration missions to Mars and beyond.