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Cargo bags for MPLM modules are filled with their cargo such as food packages, science experiments and other miscellaneous items on-site in the SSPF, and are loaded into the module by the same robotic crane and strapped in securely.
Cargo bags for MPLM modules are filled with their cargo such as food packages, science experiments and other miscellaneous items on-site in the SSPF, and are loaded into the module by the same robotic crane and strapped in securely.
<gallery>
File:STS-129 ExPRESS Logistics Carrier 11.jpg|ExPRESS logistics carrier assembly
File:STS-130 Training Kathryn Hire takes a tour of the Tranquility module.jpg|Workers in protective clothing inspect and clean the interior of Node 3
File:Coupe-module-ISS.png|ISPR rack configuration in a typical module
File:STS-131 MPLM Leonardo preparations 2.jpg|Robotic crane arm loading cargo bags in an MPLM
File:STS-135 crew inspects the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module.jpg|Workers fitting and inspecting the rack mounts
File:STS131-Leonardo preparations4.jpg|Workers loading rack covers
File:STS131-leonardo-preparation1.jpg|Leonardo MPLM in its housing jig
File:Kibo ICS in KSC-01.jpg|Checking and testing the antenna
File:First system rack for the Destiny lab module.jpg|A rack being fitted in the Destiny laboratory
</gallery>


===Operations and Checkout Building===
===Operations and Checkout Building===

Revision as of 11:49, 22 April 2019

The Space Station Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center - the prime factory for final fabrication and processing of station components for launch

The project to create the International Space Station required the utilization and/or construction of new and existing manufacturing facilities around the world, mostly in the United States and Europe. The agencies overseeing the manufacturing involved NASA, Roscosmos, the European Space Agency, JAXA, and the Canadian Space Agency. Hundreds of contractors[1] working for the five space agencies were assigned the task of fabricating the modules, trusses, experiments and other hardware elements for the station, and launching them individually in modular segments for the in-orbit assembly.

The fact that the project involved the co-operation of fifteen countries working together created engineering challenges that had to be overcome: most notably the differences in language, culture and politics, but also engineering processes, management, measuring standards and communication; to ensure that all elements connect together and function according to plan. The ISS agreement program also called for the station components to be made highly durable and versatile - as it is intended to be used by astronauts indefinitely. A series of new engineering and manufacturing processes and equipment were developed, and shipments of steel, aluminum and other materials were needed for the construction of the space station components.[2]

History and planning

The project, which began as an American effort, was long delayed by funding and technical problems. Originally called Space Station Freedom in the 1980s by Ronald Reagan, who authorized the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to build it within 10 years, it was redesigned in the 1990s to reduce costs and expand international involvement, at which time it was renamed. In 1993 the United States and Russia agreed to merge their separate space station plans into a single facility integrating their respective modules and incorporating contributions from the European Space Agency and Japan.[3] In later months, an international agreement board recruited several more space agencies and companies to collaborate to the project. The International Organization for Standardization played a crutial role in unifying and overcoming different engineering methods, languages, standards and teqniques to ensure quality, engineering communication and logistical management across all manufacturing activities of the station components.

Engineering designs

Technical blueprints

  • Z1 Truss design
    Z1 Truss design
  • S0 Truss design
    S0 Truss design
  • P1 / S1 Truss design
    P1 / S1 Truss design
  • P3/4 / S3/4 Truss design
    P3/4 / S3/4 Truss design
  • P5 / S5 Truss design
    P5 / S5 Truss design
  • P6 / S6 Truss design
    P6 / S6 Truss design
  • Radiator panels
    Radiator panels
  • External stowage platform 1
    External stowage platform 1
  • Technical blueprint of components
    Technical blueprint of components
  • Exploded view of truss sections
    Exploded view of truss sections
  • US laboratory
    US laboratory
  • Quest airlock (plan view)
    Quest airlock (plan view)
  • Quest airlock Isometric view
    Quest airlock Isometric view
  • Node 1
    Node 1
  • Node 2
    Node 2
  • Cupola
    Cupola
  • Columbus
    Columbus
  • Pirs
    Pirs
  • Poisk
    Poisk
  • Rassvet
    Rassvet
  • Japanese Experiment Module
    Japanese Experiment Module
  • Typical ISS rack
    Typical ISS rack
  • Pressurized mating adapters
    Pressurized mating adapters
  • ISS elements as of June 2017[update]
    ISS elements as of June 2017
  • Zvezda service module
    Zvezda service module
  • Zarya FGB
    Zarya FGB

Manufacturing Information and Processes

List of factories and manufacturing processes used in the construction and fabrication of the International Space Station modular components:

Space Station element Overseeing agency and contractor Manufacturing
facility 		Materials
used 		Manufacturing date Mass
(kg) 		Manufacturing Processes Isolated View
Zarya (FGB)[4] Roscosmos Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center 1994 19,323
Unity (Node 1),[5] PMA-1 & PMA-2 NASA Marshall Space Flight Center June 6, 1997 11,612
Zvezda (Service Module)[6] Roscosmos Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center 1985 19,051
Z1 Truss & PMA-3 NASA Michoud Assembly Facility 1999 8,755 (Z1)
P6 Truss & Solar Arrays NASA Michoud Assembly Facility

Truss

Solar Arrays

1999/2000 15,824

Destiny (US Laboratory)[7] NASA Marshall Space Flight Center December 12, 1997 14,515
External Stowage Platform-1 NASA
  • Airbus DS Space Systems
 Goddard Space Flight Center[8] Steel 2000 5,760
Canadarm2 (SSRMS) Canadian Space Agency MDA Space Missions, Brampton Ontario Titanium 2000/01 4,899
  • Seamless rolling
  • Milling
  • Robotic assembly

Quest (Joint Airlock)[9] NASA Marshall Space Flight Center 2000 6,064
Pirs (Docking Compartment & Airlock) RKK Energia Korolyov, Moscow Oblast 1998 3,580
S0 Truss[10] NASA Michoud Assembly Facility 13.4 13,970
Mobile Base System NASA Northrop Grumman factory in Carpinteria, CA 2001 1,450
S1 Truss and Radiators NASA Michoud Assembly Facility November 21, 2006 14,120
P1 Truss and Radiators NASA Michoud Assembly Facility 2005/06 13.748 same as S1 Truss
ESP-2 NASA
  • Airbus DS Space Systems
 Goddard Space Flight Center October 2005 2,676
P3/P4 Truss & Solar Arrays[11] NASA Michoud Assembly Facility

Truss

Solar Arrays

2005/06 15,900

File:ISS Solar Array manufacturing 2.jpg

P5 Truss[12] NASA Operations and Checkout Building Anodized steel February 2007 1,818
S3/S4 Truss & Solar Arrays NASA Michoud Assembly Facility Same as P3/P4 trusses May 12, 2005 15,900 Same as P3/P4 trusses
S5 Truss and ESP-3 NASA Operations and Checkout Building Steel (some anodized) 2007 13.795 Same as P5 and ESP-1 and 2

Harmony (Node 2)
Relocation of P6 Truss 		European Space Agency, Italian Space Agency Thales Alenia Space factory in Cannes, France Stainless steel May 2003 14,288
Columbus (European Laboratory)[13] European Space Agency European Space Research and Technology Centre Stainless steel April 2006 12,800
Dextre Canadian Space Agency MacDonald Dettwiler (now MDA Space Missions) factory in Brampton Ontario 2004 1,734
Japanese Logistics Module (ELM-PS) JAXA Tanegashima Space Center April 2, 2007 8,386
Japanese Pressurized Module (JEM-PM)
JEM Robotic Arm (JEM-RMS)[14][15] 		JAXA (formerly NASDA) Tanegashima Space Center November 2005 15,900 (JEM-PM)

S6 Truss & Solar Arrays NASA Michoud Assembly Facility same as P4/S4 truss and solar arrays 2006/07 15,900 same as P4/S4 truss and solar arrays File:ISS Solar Array manufacturing 1.jpg
Japanese Exposed Facility (JEM-EF) JAXA Tanegashima Space Center May 28, 2003 4,100
Poisk (MRM-2)[16][17] Roscosmos Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center 2008/09 3,670 same as Pirs
ExPRESS Logistics Carriers 1 & 2 NASA All three contracting facilities 2008/09 6,277

Tranquility (Node 3) NASA, European Space Agency Thales Alenia Space factory, Cannes France Stainless steel April 2005 12,247
Cupola NASA, European Space Agency Thales Alenia Space factory, Cannes France 2003/07 1,800
Rassvet (MRM-1)[18] Roscosmos, NASA Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center July 2009 5,075

Leonardo (PMM) and EXPRESS Logistics Carrier 4 ULF5 2011-02-24 Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-133) 6.6 9,896 (Leonardo) 31

Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, OBSS and EXPRESS Logistics Carrier 3 ULF6 2011-05-16 Space Shuttle Endeavour (STS-134) 6,731 (AMS-02)

Bigelow Expandable Activity Module[19] 2016-04-08 Falcon 9

(SpaceX CRS-8)

4 3.2 16
NanoRacks Airlock Module 2019-10-15[20][21] Falcon 9

(SpaceX CRS-19)[22]

Nauka (MLM)
European Robotic Arm[23] 		3R 2020[24] Proton-M 20,300 (Nauka) 70
Prichal 2022 (TBD)[25] Soyuz 2.1b

(Progress M-UM)

4,000
NEM-1 (SPM-1) 2022 (TBD)[25] Proton-M
Space Station element Overseeing agency and contractor Manufacturing
facility 		Materials
used 		Manufacturing date Mass
(kg) 		Manufacturing Processes Isolated View

Transportation

The European Columbus module being unloaded from the Airbus Beluga at the Shuttle Landing Facility
Node 2 inside its transportation container on its way by road to the SSPF, past the Vehicle Assembly Building from the SLF runway

Once manufactured or fabricated sufficiently, most of the space station elements were transported by aircraft (usually the Airbus Beluga or the Antonov An-124) to the Kennedy Space Center Space Station Processing Facility for final manufacturing stages, checks and launch processing.

Each module for aircraft transport was safely housed in a custom-designed shipping container with foam insulation and an outer shell of sheet metal, to protect it from damage and the elements. At their respective European, Russian and Japanese factories, the modules were transported to their nearest airport by road in their containers, loaded into the cargo aircraft and were flown to Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility for unloading and final transfers to the SSPF and or the Operations and Checkout Building in the KSC industrial area. The American and Canadian-built components such as the US lab, Node 1, Quest airlock, truss and solar array segments, and the Canadarm-2 were either flown by the Aero Spacelines Super Guppy to KSC, or transported by road and rail.

After final stages of manufacturing, systems testing and launch checkout, all ISS components are loaded into a payload transfer container in the shape of the Space Shuttle payload bay. This container safely carries the component in its launch configuration until it is hoisted vertically at the launch pad gantry for transfer to the Space Shuttle orbiter for launch and in-orbit assembly of the International Space Station.

  • Columbus entering the SSPF loading yard for launch processing
    Columbus entering the SSPF loading yard for launch processing
  • Airbus Beluga loading
    Airbus Beluga loading
  • Unloading the Columbus module in its container at the shuttle landing facility
    Unloading the Columbus module in its container at the shuttle landing facility
  • Transportation container
    Transportation container
  • Antonov An-124 arrives at KSC with the Kibo module from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan
    Antonov An-124 arrives at KSC with the Kibo module from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan
  • The Rassvet module in its container at KSC being unloaded from the Antonov 124 inbound from Khrunichev
    The Rassvet module in its container at KSC being unloaded from the Antonov 124 inbound from Khrunichev
  • Node 3 being hoisted by cranes before loading onto truck
    Node 3 being hoisted by cranes before loading onto truck
  • ISS payload transfer container
    ISS payload transfer container
  • The US laboratory module being moved vertically from the payload transfer container to the Space Shuttle orbiter inside its installation structure
    The US laboratory module being moved vertically from the payload transfer container to the Space Shuttle orbiter inside its installation structure

Final manufacturing and launch processing stages

With the exception of all but one Russian-built module: Rassvet, all ISS components end up here at either one or both of these buildings at Kennedy Space Center.

Space Station Processing Facility

At the SSPF, ISS modules, trusses and solar arrays are prepped and made ready for launch. In this iconic building are two large 100,000 class clean work environment areas.[26] Workers and engineers wear full non-contaminant clothing while working. Modules receive cleaning and polishing, and some areas are temporarily disassembled for the installation of cables, electrical systems and plumbing. In another area, shipments of spare materials are available for installation. International Standard Payload Rack frames are assembled and welded together, allowing the installation of instruments, machines and science experiment boxes to be fitted. Once racks are fully assembled, they are hoisted by a special manually operated robotic crane and carefully maneuvered into place inside the space station modules. Each rack weighs from 700 to 1,100 kg, and connect inside the module on special mounts with screws and latches.

Cargo bags for MPLM modules are filled with their cargo such as food packages, science experiments and other miscellaneous items on-site in the SSPF, and are loaded into the module by the same robotic crane and strapped in securely.

  • ExPRESS logistics carrier assembly
    ExPRESS logistics carrier assembly
  • Workers in protective clothing inspect and clean the interior of Node 3
    Workers in protective clothing inspect and clean the interior of Node 3
  • ISPR rack configuration in a typical module
    ISPR rack configuration in a typical module
  • Robotic crane arm loading cargo bags in an MPLM
    Robotic crane arm loading cargo bags in an MPLM
  • Workers fitting and inspecting the rack mounts
    Workers fitting and inspecting the rack mounts
  • Workers loading rack covers
    Workers loading rack covers
  • Leonardo MPLM in its housing jig
    Leonardo MPLM in its housing jig
  • Checking and testing the antenna
    Checking and testing the antenna
  • A rack being fitted in the Destiny laboratory
    A rack being fitted in the Destiny laboratory

Operations and Checkout Building

References

  1. ^ https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/International_Space_Station/Companies_involved_with_ISS
  2. ^ https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/integrated-truss-structure
  3. ^ https://www.britannica.com/topic/International-Space-Station
  4. ^ Wade, Mark (15 July 2008). "ISS Zarya". Encyclopaedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 27 February 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-11. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ "Unity Connecting Module: Cornerstone for a Home in Orbit" (PDF). NASA. January 1999. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-11. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ "Zvezda Service Module". NASA. 11 March 2009. Archived from the original on 23 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-11. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ "US Destiny Laboratory". NASA. 26 March 2007. Archived from the original on 9 July 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-26. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/images/content/402222main_Techs_working_on_ELC_1019.jpg
  9. ^ "Space Station Extravehicular Activity". NASA. 4 April 2004. Archived from the original on 3 April 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-11. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ "Space Station Assembly: Integrated Truss Structure". NASA. Archived from the original on 7 December 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-02. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ "P3 and P4 to expand station capabilities, providing a third and fourth solar array" (pdf). Boeing. July 2006. Retrieved 2007-12-02.
  12. ^ "STS-118 MISSION OVERVIEW: BUILD THE STATION…BUILD THE FUTURE" (PDF). NASA PAO. July 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 December 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-02. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ "Columbus laboratory". ESA. 10 January 2009. Archived from the original on 30 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-06. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ "About Kibo". JAXA. 25 September 2008. Archived from the original on 10 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-06. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  15. ^ "Kibo Japanese Experiment Module". NASA. 23 November 2007. Archived from the original on 23 October 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-22. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ Zak, Anatoly. "Docking Compartment-1 and 2". RussianSpaceWeb.com. Archived from the original on 10 February 2009. Retrieved 26 March 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  17. ^ Bergin, Chris (9 November 2009). "Russian module launches via Soyuz for Thursday ISS docking". NASASpaceflight.com. Archived from the original on 13 November 2009. Retrieved 10 November 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  18. ^ "NASA Extends Contract With Russia's Federal Space Agency" (Press release). NASA. 9 April 2007. Archived from the original on 23 June 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-15. {{cite press release}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  19. ^ "NASA to Test Bigelow Expandable Module on Space Station". NASA. 16 January 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
  20. ^ Frommert, Hartmut (8 December 2018). "International Space Station Flight Schedule". Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  21. ^ Pietrobon, Steven (19 January 2019). "United States Commercial ELV Launch Manifest". Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  22. ^ http://nanoracks.com/nanoracks-adds-thales-alenia-space-to-airlock/
  23. ^ "FGB-based Multipurpose Lab Module (MLM)". Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Centre. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 2008-10-31.
  24. ^ Pietrobon, Steven (8 February 2019). "Russian Launch Manifest". Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  25. ^ a b "Рогозин — РБК: "Формула "космос вне политики" не работает"" [Rogozin to RBC: The "cosmos out of politics" formula does not work]. RBC.ru (in Russian). 10 January 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  26. ^ https://science.ksc.nasa.gov/facilities/sspf.html
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