Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cwjcc!gatech!rutgers!cbmvax!vu-vlsi!swatsun!leif
From: leif@cs.swarthmore.edu (Leif Kirschenbaum)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Re: Summer Jobs at NASA
Summary: What is an alpha joint?
Keywords: Freedom, alpha, joint, NASA, space station
Message-ID: <2375@carthage.cs.swarthmore.edu>
Date: 30 Jan 89 00:06:08 GMT
References: <2353@carthage.cs.swarthmore.edu>
Reply-To: leif@carthage.UUCP (Leif Kirschenbaum)
Organization: SUN Lab, Swarthmore College, PA
Lines: 33

I have come into possession of an Announcemnet of Opportunity (NASA)
which asks for proposals for payloads to be mounted on the truss of
the Space Station.
  In Appendix A of the AO there is a brief description of the SS.
The payloads will be mounted on the 15m truss between the two alpha joints.
This truss will also support the U.S. lab and habitation modules and
the Japanese and European lab modules.

  The question I have is this:  What's an alpha joint and how does it work?
It was mentioned that the space station would have a constant attitude toward
the direction of flight, and I think it was mentioned that the solar panels
would re-orient to always face the sun.  Does this mean the alpha joints are
where the solar panels turn to face the sun (see diag.)?  
How is this accomplished? (i.e. turning the panels and not the station)


   ##                     ##
   ##                     ##
   ##                     ##
   ##    p    m m    p    ##
  =====+===============+=====
   ##    p    m m    p    ##
   ##                     ##
   ##                     ##
   ##                     ##

The p'a are payloads, the m's are modules (approximately located),
the #'s are the solar panels, and the two +'s are the alpha joints.
-- 
Leif Kirschenbaum '91
Swarthmore College
UUCP:  rutgers!bpa!swatsun!leif
CSnet: leif@swatsun.swarthmore.edu