Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!mit-eddie!uw-beaver!sumax!thebes!polari!crad From: crad@polari.UUCP (Charles Radley) Newsgroups: sci.space Subject: Re: Space Station Work Package #3 Message-ID: <2676@polari.UUCP> Date: 8 Nov 90 03:25:18 GMT References: <90311.130321GWS102@psuvm.psu.edu> <9011072137.AA15699@iti.org> Organization: Seattle Online Public Unix (206) 328-4944 Lines: 64 In response to requests for Freedom info, in comparison to LLNL, here is some more...... +In terms of differences with Freedom, the LLNL station is bigger but +provides a little less power. It also would require free flying +platforms to be associated with it for microgravity. I suspect the +CDSF or a modified Spacelab would do just fine. - Freedom includes microgravity and life science capability, without the additional expense of these free-flyers. The LLNL/Free-flyer system combination is not useful for life sciences. Freedom also has some polar orbit free-flyers for Earth Observation activites, which LLNL does not have. Freedom weighs 250 tonnes, over six times as heavy as LLNL. Freedom will not be habitable until the fourth assembly flight, when it will achieve "Man Tended Capabilty", scheduled for Jan 97. After about flight 11, in Nov 97, Permanently Manned Capability will be achieved. After the last of the appropriated flights, it will achieve "Assembly Complete" configuration. The station will then operate for thirty years. It is designed like an aircraft, with Orbital Replaceable Units, allowing it to be repaired and maintained on orbit. The Freedom habitable volume is not much more than Skylab, but the science does not need volume. Initial crew size is 4, growing to 8 when the international modules are attached. Oh yes, it is international, US pays about 70 %, Canada 4 % and ESA and Japan pay about 13 % each. So pretty well everybody on this net has an interest...... Canada provides a mobile Remote Servicer robot with a large manipulator arm. Japan and ESA each provide one habitable science module. History:- Phase-A was 5/82 until award of Phase-B contracts in 4/85. Phase-B ran from 4/85 to 12/87. Phase-C contracts were awarded 12/87, and is currently in progress. Phase-C will culminate with a Critical Design review in 1992. Phase-D will begin 1992. First element launch is schedule 3/95, and Assembly Complete in 1998. +(Freedom will take over 50 flights of the Shuttle). Most of this +advantage is due to the use of+ inflatables. - Freedom will take less than 30 flights, I think the number authorized is 28. LLNL weighs much less than Freedom, because it has only a tiny fraction of the science capability and equipment. Freedom's solar arrays were recently reduced by half, now two pairs of panels will provide about 37.5 KW. Each panel is 32 by 108 feet. The Freedom truss structure has now been shortened to a little less than 150 metres. the solar panels are at right angles to the truss. The station is equippped with hydrazine thrusters to prevent orbital decay. I will leave it at that for now. Happy to answer any questions if I can.