 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
ISS Gets A Backbone
Huntsville - September 30, 1999 - After months of testing, engineers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and Boeing in Huntsville, Ala., say the first "backbone" segment of the International Space Station is flight-ready. On October 5, the starboard-side "S1" truss leaves Marshall on the next leg of its long journey into space history. The spine-like truss will be carried aboard NASA's Super Guppy aircraft from Redstone Army Airfield to Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Primarily constructed of aluminum, the S1 truss is 45 feet long, 15 feet wide and 6 feet tall. When fully outfitted, it will weigh 31,137 pounds. Manufactured by the Boeing Co. in Huntington Beach, Calif., the truss has been at Marshall since February 1999 for installation of critical flight hardware and structural and dynamic testing. In October 2000, the Space Shuttle will carry the S1 truss to orbit for deployment and installation on the Space Station. Once assembled in orbit, the complete truss will stretch the length of a football field, providing the foundation for the Station's solar power array, subsystem hardware and external experiment positions. The International Space Station is a cooperative endeavor by the United States and 15 other nations -- the largest multinational space construction effort in history. Orbital assembly is expected to be complete in 2004. The Marshall Center is one of the primary NASA centers for Space Station construction and flight-testing. Boeing built the Unity node -- the first U.S. component carried to orbit -- at Marshall, as well as the Destiny laboratory module, scheduled for transport to space in April 2000. Marshall is also developing the Space Station's Environmental Control and Life Support System -- critical to the on-board recycling of air and water supplies -- and is overseeing construction of experiment racks and various flight systems. Marshall is responsible for environmental, structural and dynamic testing of various Space Station components.
Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Space
Satellite Launch To Boost DTH In India
Calcutta, India (SPX) Dec 28, 2005The successful launch Thursday of India's heaviest satellite from spaceport of Kourou in French Guyana may have boosted the country's space research efforts to yet another level, but it has also lifted the spirits of at least three Direct-To-Home televisions broadcasters, one of which has been waiting for years to launch its services in India. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
