Space Station Leadership for the Future

8/7/2019 Space Station Leadership for the Future

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Space Station:Leadership for the FuturebyFranklin D. Martin andTerence I Finn

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"The Space Stationoffers a unique andchallenging opportunityfor internationalcooperation in space.Europe, Japan andCanada are our partnersin the Space Stationprogram. Theirparticipation will mean amore capable SpaceStation, and a tangibledemonstration of ourdesire and ability to worktogether.' ,

Andrew J. StofanNASA Association Administratorfor Space Station

Cover photo courtesy of Martin Marietta


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Space Station:Leadership for the FuturebyFranklin D. Martin andTerence I Finn

Space Station and the FutureNo longer limited to occasional spectaculars, space hasbecome an essential, almost commonplace dimension ofnational life. Among other things, space today is anarena of competition with our allies and our adversaries.It is a place of business, where private companies canand do profit. It is a field of research, for developingtechnology and conducting science. It is also an avenueof cooperation with our allies, demonstrating thepeaceful use of space for the benefi t of all.

The Space Station will playa critical role in each ofthese endeavors. A unique and versatile concept, theSpace Station will shape what we do in space and howwe do it. And by dOing so, it will be the centerpiece of ournation's future in space.The Space Station will be unique because it willprovide the United States with a permanently mannedpresence in space. It will be versatile because its

capabilit ies will be remarkably diverse. This divers ity isreflected in the station's design, which featurespressurized laboratories, accommodations for attachedpayloads, and free-flying unmanned platforms. NASA isdeveloping a new national laboratory, a research centerin space. This laboratory will stimulate new technologies,in both the civil and military sectors, and enhanceindustrial competitiveness. It will further commercialspace enterprises, and add greatly to our storehouse ofscientific knowledge. The Space Station will also assureAmerican pre-eminence in space at a time when othernations are increasingly self-reliant in spacetechnologies. And, i t will support a universal visionthat, ultimately, mankind will move beyond the confinesof Earth.Dr. Franklin D. Martin is the NASA Deputy AssociateAdministrator for Space Station. Dr. Terence I Finn is the DeputyDirector, Policy Division at the Space Station Office at NASAHeadquarters.

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A Permanently Manned PresencePerhaps the most significant feature of the SpaceStation, essential to its utility for science, commerce, andtechnology, is the permanent nature of its crew. Men andwomen will be aboard the station base full-time, 24 hoursa day, 365 days a year. This makes the Space Stationdifferent from what we have done in the past. It makes ita system of enormous capabilities. Humans are the mostsophisticated machines of all. Their creativity, theirdexterity, their abili ty to perceive, to interact withinstruments and to respond to the unexpected areunique and essential. The Space Station will bedesigned to exploit these human capabilities. And byproviding a permanent presence, the station will enablethese capabil ities to realize their fullest potential.A New National LaboratoryAs a laboratory in space, the station will support researchof fundamental importance. Such research, of course,does not require space-based capabilities. But spaceprovides such a remarkably rich environment for theadvancement of knowledge that science and technologynow have a core dimension rooted in space. The SpaceStation will focus and expand this dimension. It will buildupon the tradition of employing new capabilities toexplore further and question deeper. And by providing apermanent presence, the station should significantlyincrease the opportunities for conducting research in .space.The Space Station's microgravity environment, highlevels of power, and extended time in orbit, wil l enablescientists to make new discoveries in materials researchand life sciences. Space Station scientists, workingwithin pressurized modules, will be able to fabricatelarge, defect-free crystals, such as gallium arsenide, foruse in the development of computers. They will be ableto produce pure biological crystals necessary for theidentification of basic molecular structure. Otherscientists will be able to study the fundamental behavior

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Derived from the Enhanced Configuration portrayed on thecover, this Revised Baseline Configuration effectively balancesthe need to reduce federal spending with the necessity ofachieving a permanently manned presence in space. With 75kw of power, accommodations for attachedpaytGads,international parti cipation and two polar platforms (not shown)this configuration will provide a diverse and extremely useful setof capabilities. Note the astronaut inspecting the upper left solararray.

The Space Station is being des igned to be able to evolve as newrequirements emerge and new capabili ties come on line. Theconfiguration illustrated here, termed Enhanced Capabilities,features additional structure for the accommodation of attachedpayloads and a greater level of power. Additional power will beprovided by an advanced solar dynamics system located ateach end of the horizontal boom.

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The Space Station: .. ' "For Science and Technology A research laboratory in space that is permanently manned

For Space Exploration A point of departure, an enabling capability for future missions

For NASA A means in the future to conduct businessFor the United States An essential element of civil space policy A symbol of our commitment to leadership in spaceFor Mankind A first step toward living and working beyond Earth

of living cells and help characterize and understand thehuman body as a self-contained, complex, ecologicalsystem. They also will be able to penetrate further themysteries of human physiology as it is affected byextended space flight.Yet the Space Station's substantive research

capabilities include far more than its pressurized volume.Its free-flying platforms will enhance astrophysics andenable truly synergistic studies of Earth's atmosphere,land masses, and oceans referred to as Earth systemscience. Moreover, the station's external structure isdesigned to be stable platforms that will be available for anumber of specialized instruments and telescopes.These will look out to the stars and down upon Earth.Other upper-boom instruments might focus upon thecenterpiece of our solar environment: the Sun. SpaceStation instruments will be able to conduct long-term,high-resolution studies of the Sun's surface and of solarradiation. Besides enhancing our understanding of basicphysics, such studies will contribute to our knowledge ofEarth's environment and climate. The Space Station'sstructure is also a platform for scienti fic observation .Utilizing the station's orbit, scientists will be able tomonitor and examine phenomenon such as tropicalrainfall. This rainfall is a dominant factor inunderstanding Earth's hydrological cycle, which is acritical element in understanding the periodic variabilityin Earth's weather patterns.

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However, the Space Station's value extends beyondthe experimental and observational sciences. Scientificinstruments, be they in a laboratory or on a boom, requiremaintenance, upgrading, repair, and replacement. TheSpace Station we are designing will accommodate thesefunctions. The station will be not only a researchlaboratory of unparalleled capability, it will, because ofthe manned presence, be a servicing center ofconsiderable practicality. Our experience in spaceconfirms the importance of accommodating thesefunctions. Things do break and they don't always workexactly right. They need "time in the shop." The SpaceStation will be that shop. It will be able to service thescientific instruments it carries, as well as provide forextended service of free-flying spacecraft.Co mpetitiveness and Technolog yPresident Reagan's message on U.S. competitivenessidentifies the Space Station as a key R&D initiative.Economic productivity is, in part, a function of technicalinnovation. The Space Station will contributesignificantly to growth in technology, via both itsdevelopment and utilization. A major thrust of the SpaceStation design effort is devoted to enhancingperformance through advanced technology. Propulsion ,structures, and materials are areas where Space Stationtechnology is likely to be spun off to the private sector. Sotoo, are automation and robotics. The Space Station's


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The Space Shuttle will be the princ ipal transportation system forthe Space Station. Shutt/e's unique abil ity to carry men andwomen aloft and to return from orbitmakes it an indispensableelement of the nation's space program and of the Space Stationendeavor. For Space Station logistics and payload flights, theSpace Shuttle will be complemented by expendable launchvehicles.

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With the Shuttle on its wayback to flight operations, theSpace Station represents thenext logical step in our effortsto explore and utilize theenvironment of space. Withthe Space Station operationalin the mid-1990's we will nolonger visit space, we wi ll bethere, living and working in anoutpost that silently glidesabove Earth.

flight telerobotic servicer is expected to enhancetechnology in these two critical fields. In addition, NASA,through the Space Station program, is pioneering thedevelopment of an integrated capability for the costeffective production and long-term maintenance ofcomplex applications software. The capability, called theSoftware Support Environment (SSE), will provide thesoftware and policies for a wide range of uses. The SSEhas prompted major strides in industry in defining andmaking operationally available integrated developmentsystems. The SSE is expected to have a dramatic impacton the technical competitiveness of U.S. industry in therapidly growing software development field.Symbol of GreatnessSymbol ic values of the Space Station, however, mayexceed its considerable practicality. The Space Stationrepresents the commitment of the United States to afuture in space. This future will be intellectually rigorous,technically demanding, and commercially profitable. Thestation demonstrates that America's greatness in spaceis ahead of us, not behind us, and that this nation doesnot intend to rest on its laurels. With the positiveresponse to President Reagan's invitation to friends andallies of the United States to participate in the program,the station symbolizes our nation's desire to cooperatewith others in mutually beneficial civil space activities.With the Soviet Union operating the MIR orbiting station,the Space Station symbolizes the intent of the UnitedStates to be second to none in utilizing the diversecapabilities of a permanent human presence in space.Perhaps most importantly, as we steadfastly recover fromthe loss of Challenger and its crew, the Space Stationsymbolizes our national determination shared by thePresident, the Congress, and the American public toremain undeterred by tragedy and to continue exploringthe frontiers of space.

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Reasons Why Enhance capabilities for space science and applications Stimulate advanced technologies Promote international cooperation Develop the further commercial potential of space Challenge the Soviet lead in space stations Contribute to American pride and prestige Stimulate interest in science and engineering education Provide options for future endeavors in space

Assure Free World Leadership in SpaceDuring the 1990s and Beyond

Future ExpeditionsThe frontiers of space eventually will beckon us again toleave the confines of Earth and explore once more thelunar surface or land upon Mars, that planet most like ourown. When this will occur is uncertain. That it will occuris not at issue, for the intangible imperat ive of humanexploration will not, in the long run, be denied. Whilesuch exploration may not be carried out by Americanastronauts, it appears likely that man will journey back tothe Moon or to Mars within the next forty years. Muchtechnology development needs to occur before such anexpedition could be mounted. Much research needs tobe conducted about the biological effects of long-duration space flight. A Space Station is the only placewhere such activity can be accomplished. The SpaceStation will be a laboratory for preparatory work essentialto any future manned space exploration. In addition, thestation would serve as a point of departure for such amission, the energy requirements being such thatassembling the mission components in orbit is far easierthan attempting a mission directly from the surface ofEarth. The Space Station is thus an enabling capabilityfor the future. By itself, it does not lead to a Moon or Marsmission, but such a mission will not take place without it.

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LeadershipThe Space Station represents a commitment toleadership in the future. Today, United States leadershipin space is being challenged . Spacecraft and launchvehicles of considerable sophistication and provenreliabil ity have been developed and flown in Europe,Japan, China, and the Soviet Union. These countriesunderstand the utility and value of space systems. Theyunderstand that profit, productivity, prestige, and nationalstrength are the products of a space program. They arecommitted to an extensive and visible presence in space.Our response must be to press forward with projects thatare Significant, demanding, and genuinely useful. Often,we will do this together with our friends and allies, incooperative endeavors. Sometimes we will do it byourselves. No nation can match our experience in spaceor our technical capabilities. If we apply these with visionand imagination, if we chart the future with the SpaceStation-with its range of capabilities unlike any other-then leadership in space will again belong to the UnitedStates.


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Space Station Leadership for the Future