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PMA-2
The Pressurized Mating Adapter (PMA) is a class of spacecraft adapters that convert the Common Berthing Mechanism (CBM) used on the US Orbital Segment to APAS-95 docking ports. There are three PMAs located on the International Space Station (ISS); the first two were launched with the ''Unity'' connecting module in 1998 aboard STS-88, and the third was launched in 2000 aboard STS-92. All three of the PMAs are now used to permanently connect parts of the ISS, so they are no longer available as docking ports for visiting spacecraft. Design/History Its origins lie in designs for the Pressurized Docking Mast, consisting of an off-axis frustoconical docking tunnel contained within a framework and a retractable coupling mechanism, later part of the Pressurized Berthing Adapter assembly that appeared in designs for Space Station Freedom 1987, and the reduced design referred to as 'Fred' 1991. After 1992-93 and the Russian integration into the International Space Station Alpha pro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
US Orbital Segment
The US Orbital Segment (USOS) is the name given to the components of the International Space Station (ISS) constructed and operated by the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), European Space Agency (ESA), Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The segment currently consists of eleven pressurized components and various external elements, all of which were delivered by the Space Shuttle. The segment is monitored and controlled from various mission control centers around the world including Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, Columbus Control Centre in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany and Tsukuba Space Center in Tsukuba, Japan. However, it depends on the Russian Orbital Segment for essential flight control, orbital station-keeping and life support systems. Modules The US Orbital Segment consists of 10 pressurized modules. Of these, seven are habitable, and three are connecting nodes with large ports. The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Common Berthing Mechanism
The Common Mechanism (CBM) connects habitable elements in the US Orbital Segment (USOS) of the International Space Station (ISS). The CBM has two distinct sides that, once mated, form a cylindrical vestibule between modules. The vestibule is about long and across. At least one end of the vestibule is often limited in diameter by a smaller bulkhead penetration. The elements are maneuvered to the berthing-ready position by a . Latches and bolts on the Active CBM (ACBM) side pull fittings and floating nuts on the Passive CBM (PCBM) side to align and join the two. After the vestibule is pressurized, crew members clear a passage between modules by removing some CBM components. Utility connectors are installed between facing bulkheads, with a closeout panel to cover them. The resulting tunnel can be used as a loading bay, admitting large payloads from visiting cargo spacecraft that would not fit through a typical personnel passageway. Design overview All CBM types featur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
STS-88
STS-88 was the first Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS). It was flown by Space Shuttle ''Endeavour'', and took the first American module, the ''Unity'' node, to the station. The seven-day mission was highlighted by the mating of the U.S.-built ''Unity'' node to the Functional Cargo Block (''Zarya'' module) already in orbit, and three spacewalks to connect power and data transmission cables between the Node and the FGB. ''Zarya'', built by Boeing and the Russian Space Agency, was launched on a Russian Proton rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in November 1998. Other payloads on the STS-88 mission included the IMAX Cargo Bay Camera (ICBC), the Argentine Scientific Applications Satellite-S (SAC-A), the MightySat 1 Hitchhiker payload, the Space Experiment Module (SEM-07) and Getaway Special G-093 sponsored by the University of Michigan. Crew Launch attempts Mission highlights Node 1, named ''Unity'', was the first space stat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Harmony (ISS Module)
''Harmony'', also known as ''Node 2'', is the "utility hub" of the International Space Station. It connects the laboratory modules of the United States, Europe and Japan, as well as providing electrical power and electronic data. Sleeping cabins for four of the crew are housed here. ''Harmony'' was successfully launched into space aboard Space Shuttle flight STS-120 on 23 October 2007. After temporarily being attached to the port side of the ''Unity'' module, it was moved to its permanent location on the forward end of the ''Destiny'' module on 14 November 2007. ''Harmony'' added to the station's living volume, an increase of almost 20%, from to . Its successful installation meant that from NASA's perspective, the station was considered to be "U.S. Core Complete". Origin of name The unit formerly known as ''Node 2'' was renamed ''Harmony'' in March 2004. The name was chosen in a competition where more than 2,200 students from 32 states participated. The ''Node 2 C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
International Space Station
The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest modular space station currently in low Earth orbit. It is a multinational collaborative project involving five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada). The ownership and use of the space station is established by intergovernmental treaties and agreements. The station serves as a microgravity and space environment research laboratory in which scientific research is conducted in astrobiology, astronomy, meteorology, physics, and other fields. The ISS is suited for testing the spacecraft systems and equipment required for possible future long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars. The ISS programme evolved from the Space Station ''Freedom'', a 1984 American proposal to construct a permanently crewed Earth-orbiting station, and the contemporaneous Soviet/Russian '' Mir-2'' proposal from 1976 with similar aims. The ISS is the ninth space station to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
STS-120
STS-120 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) that launched on 23 October 2007 from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The mission is also referred to as ISS-10A by the ISS program. STS-120 delivered the ''Harmony'' module and reconfigured a portion of the station in preparation for future assembly missions. STS-120 was flown by , and was the twenty-third Space Shuttle mission to the ISS. Crew Crew notes As commander of STS-120, Pamela Melroy became the second woman (after Eileen Collins) to command a Space Shuttle mission. Additionally, the Expedition 16 crew that received STS-120 was commanded by Peggy Whitson, the first female ISS commander. The flight of STS-120 thus became the first time two female mission commanders were in space at the same time. Crew prior to the Space Shuttle ''Columbia'' disaster Prior to the Space Shuttle ''Columbia'' disaster, the original crew manifest for STS-120 was: The STS-120 mission patch was des ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Unity (ISS Module)
upright=1.0, The ''Unity'' module as seen in May 2011 The ''Unity'' connecting module, also known as Node 1, is the first U.S.-built component of the International Space Station (ISS). It connects the Russian and United States segments of the station, and is where crew eat meals together. The module is cylindrical in shape, with six berthing locations ( forward, aft, port, starboard, zenith, and nadir) facilitating connections to other modules. ''Unity'' measures in diameter, is long, made of steel, and was built for NASA by Boeing in a manufacturing facility at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. ''Unity'' is the first of the three connecting modules; the other two are ''Harmony'' and ''Tranquility''. Launch and initial berthing ''Unity'' (with its two attached PMAs) was carried into orbit as the primary cargo of the Space Shuttle ''Endeavour'' (OV 105) on STS-88, the first Space Shuttle mission dedicated to assembly of the station. On 6 December ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
International Docking Adapter
The International Docking Adapter (IDA) is a spacecraft docking system adapter developed to convert APAS-95 to the NASA Docking System (NDS). An IDA is placed on each of the International Space Station's (ISS) two open Pressurized Mating Adapters (PMAs), both of which are connected to the ''Harmony'' module. History Prior to IDA there were several different iterations of docking adapters that were meant to fill a similar role but were ultimately canceled. APAS to LIDS Adaptor System The APAS to LIDS Adaptor System (ATLAS) was announced in 2008. It would have been placed on the open PMAs and converted APAS-95 to the Low Impact Docking System (LIDS). ATLAS was planned to be launched on Orion's first two missions to the International Space Station. Orion's missions to the ISS were later canceled altogether and its role as a crew transporter was replaced by the Commercial Crew Program. Common Docking Adapter The Common Docking Adapter (CDA) was announced in 2009. It was plann ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Docking And Berthing Of Spacecraft
Docking and berthing of spacecraft is the joining of two space vehicles. This connection can be temporary, or partially permanent such as for space station modules. ''Docking'' specifically refers to joining of two separate free-flying space vehicles. ''Berthing'' refers to mating operations where a passive module/vehicle is placed into the mating interface of another space vehicle by using a robotic arm. Because the modern process of un-berthing requires more crew labor and is time-consuming, berthing operations are unsuited for rapid crew evacuations in the event of an emergency. History Docking Spacecraft docking capability depends on space rendezvous, the ability of two spacecraft to find each other and station-keep in the same orbit. This was first developed by the United States for Project Gemini. It was planned for the crew of Gemini 6 to rendezvous and manually dock under the command of Wally Schirra, with an uncrewed Agena Target Vehicle in October 1965, but ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Assembly Of The International Space Station
The process of assembling the International Space Station (ISS) has been under way since the 1990s. ''Zarya'', the first ISS module, was launched by a Proton rocket on 20 November 1998. The STS-88 Space Shuttle mission followed two weeks after ''Zarya'' was launched, bringing ''Unity'', the first of three node modules, and connecting it to ''Zarya''. This bare 2-module core of the ISS remained uncrewed for the next one and a half years, until in July 2000 the Russian module '' Zvezda'' was launched by a Proton rocket, allowing a maximum crew of three astronauts or cosmonauts to be on the ISS permanently. The ISS has a pressurized volume of approximately , a mass of approximately , approximately 100 kilowatts of power output, a truss long, modules long, and a crew of seven. Building the complete station required more than 40 assembly flights. As of 2020, 36 Space Shuttle flights delivered ISS elements. Other assembly flights consisted of modules lifted by the Falcon 9, Russian P ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Station-to-Shuttle Power Transfer System
The electrical system of the International Space Station is a critical resource for the International Space Station (ISS) because it allows the crew to live comfortably, to safely operate the station, and to perform scientific experiments. The ISS electrical system uses solar cells to directly convert sunlight to electricity. Large numbers of cells are assembled in arrays to produce high power levels. This method of harnessing solar power is called photovoltaics. The process of collecting sunlight, converting it to electricity, and managing and distributing this electricity builds up excess heat that can damage spacecraft equipment. This heat must be eliminated for reliable operation of the space station in orbit. The ISS power system uses radiators to dissipate the heat away from the spacecraft. The radiators are shaded from sunlight and aligned toward the cold void of deep space. Solar array wing Each ISS solar array wing (often abbreviated "SAW") consists of two retr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Destiny (ISS Module)
The ''Destiny'' module, also known as the U.S. Lab, is the primary operating facility for United States, U.S. research payloads aboard the International Space Station (ISS). It was berthed to the ''Unity (ISS module), Unity'' module and activated over a period of five days in February, 2001. ''Destiny'' is NASA's first permanent operating orbital research station since Skylab was vacated in February 1974. The Boeing Company began construction of the research laboratory in 1995 at the Michoud Assembly Facility and then the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville, Alabama. ''Destiny'' was shipped to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida in 1998, and was turned over to NASA for pre-launch preparations in August 2000. It launched on February 7, 2001 aboard the on STS-98. Astronauts work inside the pressurized facility to conduct research in numerous scientific fields. Scientists throughout the world would use the results to enhance their studies in medicine, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
