NASA/SP-2000-6109/VOL2/REV1 (REV. A), INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION EVOLUTION DATA BOOK (VOLUME II. EVOLUTION CONCEPTS) (OCT 2000)

NASA/SP-2000-6109/VOL2/REV1 (REV. A), INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION EVOLUTION DATA BOOK (VOLUME II. EVOLUTION CONCEPTS) (OCT 2000)., The International Space Station (ISS) will provide an Earth-orbiting facility that will accommodate engineering experiments as well as research in a microgravity environment for life and natural sciences. The ISS will distribute resource utilities and support permanent human habitation for conducting this research and experimentation in a safe and habitable environment. The objec- tives of the ISS program are to develop a world-class, international orbiting laboratory for conducting high-value scientific research for the benefit of humans; to provide access to the microgravity environment; to develop the ability to live and work in space for extended periods; and to provide a research test bed for developing advanced technology for human and robotic exploration of space. The current design and development of the ISS has been achieved through the outstanding efforts of many talented engineers, designers, technicians, and support personnel who have dedicated their time and hard work to producing a state-of-the-art Space Station. Despite these efforts, the current design of the ISS has limitations that have resulted from cost and technology issues. An initiative is currently underway to look beyond the baseline design of the ISS and determine solutions to these limitations. The needs of the ISS are being assessed, prioritized, and worked to be resolved. The ISS must evolve during its operational lifetime to respond to changing user needs and long-term national and international goals. As technologies develop and user needs change, the ISS will be modified to meet these demands. Volume II includes discussions which address the advanced technologies being investi- gated for use on the ISS and potential commercial utilization activities that are being examined. Included in this document are investigations of proposed design reference missions (DRM\'s) and the technologies being assessed by the Preplanned Program Improvement (p3I) Working Group. As these investigations progress and the ISS evolves, this document will be updated to keep all interested parties informed of the latest developments. Conceptual plans contained in this volume are not part of the baseline plans for the ISS and do not represent any officially sanctioned path for ISS Evolution. This information is general and does not provide the relevant information necessary for detailed design efforts. This document is meant to educate readers about the ISS and to stimulate the generation of ideas for the enhancement and utilization of the ISS either by or for the government, academia, and commercial industry. This document will be kept as up-to-date as possible. Revisions to this document will be made as necessary to ensure that the most current information available is accessible to the users of this document.