International Space Station (ISS)

Introduction

The international Space Station (ISS) will be released in orbit around the earth just like the MIR. The Space Station is being build by the Americans, Russians, Europeans and Japanese. It is going to be launched in seperate elements. The crew can go back to earth with the X38-CRV (Crew Return Vehicle) More images of the ISS and the X38 you can find in the Image Gallery.

An expensive bird

The International Space Station, as it is planned now, is a very expensive bird, the total budget being approximately 60 billion dollars.
It was the president of the United States, Ronald Reagan, who gave his approval to the project. He was also responsible for the original name of the station: Freedom. In the following years the economizing Congres cut down the money flow to the project, so the NASA had to change the design innumerable times and in 1993 Bill Clinton decreased the budget again and aimed at international cooperation. In search for a paying, scientifically justified and realistic solution, NASA called in the help of 3 different research centres, and each had to design its own version of the station. The White House chose for the "Alpha-option". The Russians, who had budgetary problems themselves, thought the project could be useful. They were willing to come up with facilities which originally were meant for the MIR-2 station. The ISS was born. After America and Russia, also Canada, Japan, Brazil and the 11 countries of the ESA (European Space Agency) have joined the program.

The lucky three

The start of the ISS is planned in June 1998. A Russion Proton Rocket will launch the first part of the station in orbit.
The element will be the Functional Cargo Block. And will be at an height of 407 km, with an angle of 51,6^o on the equator.
The complete station will be 108.6 m x 79.9 mr big. The total mass will be 456.62 tons.
From 1999 there will be people in the ISS. The lucky three will be launched on 14 Januar 1999. If the station is complete there will be 7 people in it. The total living space will be 1200 cubic m. The air the astronauts breath will have the same pressure and composition as on Earth.

A modular interior

The Function Cargo Block contains a enery generator, fuel storage, steer rockets and docking points, that are docking places for other modules and supply vessels. The weight of the FGB is 21 tons and is build in Russia.
The later-to-launch Service Modules are Russian. The element are for oxigen, water, lavatory and showers. Also this module of 23 tons will be launched with an protonrocket.
An other importend module is the Science Power Platform (SPP), which supplies the station with solar energy and serves as heat shield. Later the other solar panels will be connected to Node 2. In december 2003 the U.S. Habitation Module will be launched. This module has an kitchen, a lavatory, a shower, sleepingrooms and a sickbay.
However we can't talk about every module, there are two very important elements: Node 1 and Node2, both American. Simply they made the non-scientific part of the ISS complete. Node 1 is for storage and Node 2 converts the energy from the solar panels into electricity for the other modules and labratory parts. With the FGB the Nodes are the importantst part of the station.
Also the Canedian Mobile Servicing System is important. This part is very important for the assembling of the station. It has got a 16.7 metres long robotic arm.

Something for everyone

The iss is a scientific Space Station. The many labratory-modules and research parts make a gigantic research centre. For making the power supply, and other elements there is one standard developed, ISPR, International Standard Payload Racks.
There are six labratory modules: two american, ESA's Columbus Orbital Facility, the Japanese Experiment Module and 2 Russian. In the labratories there will be room for 33 experiments without the Russian Modules.
The Japanese Jam has a platform outside so there is room for some "experiments in open air". Also has the module a small robotic arm.
And last but not least there are three Italian Mini Pressurized Labratory Modules (MPLM's). This smaller elements aren't real labratorys but space for stuff for the international experiments, supplied by Shuttle flights.

Enormous Solarpanels

The labatory activities and continuous experiments -- but also and especially the human presence and the maintenance of the station -- consume a lot of energy. In average the station uses 110 kW an hour. The scientific research will use approximately 46 kW an hour. As said the powersource will be the 4 solar panels. The solar panels have 4 modules and they measure 34.1 x 11.8 metres. The enormous solar panels are movable and they are aimed to the sun almost automatically, controlled by computers. When the conditions are optimal they each have an output of 23 kW an hour.