Esa Bulletin August 2001 [antikvár]

the international space station is real!The International Space Station is Real!J. Feustel-BüechlESA Director of Manned Spaceflight and Microgravity, ESTEC, Noordwijk, The NetherlandsISS assembly status and outlookThe International Space Station (ISS) has made enormous progress in the past year (Figs. 1-5) and is a reality In orbit. Despite the challenges faced by such a global programme, It is now providing operational experience and - first andIt has taken a huge effort to bring the International Space Station (ISS) programme together. Many years of ups and downs, changes in partnerships, redesigns and other impacts have influenced the programme. But, finally, with the signature of the Intergovernmental Agreement on 29 January 1998 by 15 countries and the associated Memoranda of Understanding on the same day by the five Partner space agencies, the legal foundations were established. This article describes the achievements so far, and ESA's plans for the future.Table 1. ISS launches performed up to mid-July 2001.Flight Nr.Launch/Return DateElement/TaskVehicle1: 1A/R20 Nov 98Zarya (FGB)Proton2: 2A4/15 Dec 98Unity (Node-1)Shuttle STS-883: 2A127 May/3 Jun 98LogisticsShuttle STS-964: 2A.2A19/29 May 00Logistics/ ReboostShuttle STS-1015: 1R12 Jul 00Zvezda (Service Module)Proton6: 1P6 Aug 00Logistics (Progress-M1)Soyuz7: 2A.2B8/20 Sept 00Logistics (Outfitting)Shuttle STS-1068: 3A11/24 Oct 00Z1 TrussShuttle STS-929: 2R31 Oct 00/21 Mar 01Expedition-1 Crew/RescueSoyuz10: 2P16 Nov 00Logistics (Progress-M1)Soyuz11: 4A30 Nov/11 Dec 00P6 Truss/solar arraysShuttle STS-9712: 5A7/20 Feb 00Destiny (US Lab)Shuttle STS-9813: 3P26 Feb 01Logistics (Progress-M)Soyuz14: 5A.18/21 Mar 01Expedition-2 Crew/1st MPLMShuttle STS-10215: 4P12 Apr 01Logistics (Progress-M1)Soyuz16: 6A19 Apr/1 May 012 MPLM/Canadarm2Shuttle STS-10017: 2S28 Apr/Oot 01Taxi FlightSoyuz18: 7A12/25 Jul 01Quest AirlockShuttle STS-104Table 2. ISS launches planned to end-2001.Flight Nr. Planned LaunchElement/TaskVehicle19: 5P 20: 7A.1 21: 4R 22: 6P 23: 3S 24: UF1 25: 7PJul 01 mid-Aug 01 Aug 01 Sep 01 Oct 01 Nov 01 Dec 01Logistics (Progress-M) 3r" MPLM/Logistics Docking Compartment Logistics (Progress-M1) Taxi FlightSoyuzShuttle STS-105 Proton Soyuz SoyuzExpedition-3 Orew/4th MPLM Shuttle STS-108 Logistics (Progress-M1)Soyuzforemost - it is permitting the permanent crew of three astronauts to perform its first experiments in orbit. We have taken the first real step in ISS operations and utilisation.As of end-July 2001, 18 launches have been performed (Table 1). The Expedltion-1 first Station crew boarded in November 2000, opening the door even at this early stage to operations and the first experiments.The assembly steps planned for the rest of this year (Table 2) will considerably enhance the Station. Further outfitting of the laboratories already in orbit will allow a wider utilisation of the ISS to begin. The overall assembly schedule of more than 50 launches is expected to be completed around 2005. At that stage, the Station will have a mass of about 450 t, an overall size of 120 m by 75 m and an operational crew of 6 to 7 astronauts (Fig. 6).The ESA contributions to the orbital complexTen European countries (Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Spain and Switzerland) contribute through ESA as a Partner Agency to the development and exploitation of the ISS. The European contribution (Fig. 7) amounts to about 3.5 billion Euros and corresponds to 8.3% In utilisation rights of the western part of the Station. Europe's contribution centres around two core elements: the Columbus laboratory (including Its outfitting) and the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV).While Columbus (Fig. 8) Is our principal contribution to the ISS In-orbit configuration, the ATV (Fig. 9) launched by Ariane-5 will be used to service the Station during Its operational phase. ESA is also making a considerable number of smaller, but still Important contributions, Including Nodes-2 and -3, the Cupola, the Data Management System of the Russian Segment, the European Robotic Arm (ERA), the early-delivery items (Material Science Glovebox, Hexapod, MELFI Minus