The Habitation Extension Modules (HEM) refers to proposed British-built modules designed to connect to Node 3 (Tranquility) of the

International Space Station The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest Modular design, modular space station currently in low Earth orbit. It is a multinational collaborative project involving five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos ( ...

. They were conceived by a consortium of engineers and scientists led by Mark Hempsell, aeronautical engineer at the

University of Bristol The University of Bristol is a Red brick university, red brick Russell Group research university in Bristol, England. It received its royal charter in 1909, although it can trace its roots to a Society of Merchant Venturers, Merchant Venturers' sc ...

History

The proposal has no formal support of the British government, , but if funded the modules were intended to be launched sometime in 2011. The purpose of the modules is to provide a formal British presence in the ISS project, which to date has been nonexistent (Britain is not an independent ISS partner, and does not contribute through

ESA , owners = , headquarters = Paris, Île-de-France, France , coordinates = , spaceport = Guiana Space Centre , seal = File:ESA emblem seal.png , seal_size = 130px , image = Views in the Main Control Room (1 ...

). The HEM would be British-built modules designed to connect to Node 3 (''Tranquility'') of the

. They were conceived by a consortium of engineers and scientists led by Mark Hempsell, aeronautical engineer at the

. The two modules will provide of living space with enhanced radiation protection, and allow the astronaut crews an enhanced amount of social and personal living space on board the platform. The two modules are named HEM 'C' and HEM 'D'. HEM 'C' is designed to contain a

wardroom The wardroom is the mess cabin or compartment on a warship or other military ship for commissioned naval officers above the rank of midshipman. Although the term typically applies to officers in a navy, it is also applicable to marine officers ...

arrangement of a viewscreen with a central table for group meetings and conferences with Earth. HEM 'D' would contain improved sleeping and personal work arrangements. HEM 'D' features six separate compartments which each contain a small sleeping area (), a foldaway desk, and a small amount of space for personal effects and other items. From a personal privacy point of view, it affords each crew member an area where they can close a door and be entirely private from the rest of the crew, where they can dress and undress, or perform other acts of a personal nature. The estimated cost of the modules is £600 million, spread out over the course of 6 or 7 years and takes into account the costs of construction, launching and maintenance.

References

External links

Habitation Extension Module at the University of Bristol
{{ISS modules Components of the International Space Station Space programme of the United Kingdom

History

See also

References

External links