SPACE STATION: THE NEXT LOGICAL STEP

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP92B00181R001901730036-1
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 14, 2012
• Sequence Number: 36
• Publication Date: November 1, 1984
• Content Type: REPORT

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National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
SPACE STATION: THE NEXT LOGICAL STEP
Prepared By:
TERENCE T. FINN
Deputy Director
Policy and Plans Office
Office of Space Station
and
JOHN D. HODGE
Deputy Associate Administrator
Office of Space Station
Prepared For:
The Conference on
SPACE: THE COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITIES
Online Conferences Limited
London, England
October 31 - November 1, 1984
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Space Station: The Next Logical Step
Terence T. Finn
Deputy Director
Policy and Plans Office
Office of Space Station
NASA
John D. Hodge
Deputy Associate Administrator
Office of Space Station
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has begun
developing a permanently manned Space Station as mandated by
President Reagan. The Space Station will be operational within a
decade and is the "Next Logical Step" in America's space program.
Terence T. Finn is the Deputy
Director of Policy and Plans in
the Office of Space Station.
Prior to his appointment, he was a
member of the Space Station Task
Force with responsibilities in
several policy-related areas.
John D. Hodge is the Deputy
Associate Administrator for the
Office of Space Station. He
previously served as Director of
the Space Station Task Force which
provided preliminary analysis
leading to the U.S. decision to
initiate a Space Station Program.
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The United States now has underway a program to develop a permanent-
ly manned Space Station. The program was mandated by President
Reagan and recently received a vote of confidence in the American
legislature when Congress approved initial funding of $155 million
to initiate technology development and preliminary design.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is respon-
sible for implementing the Space Station program. With the Space
Shuttle development program now winding down, NASA is preparing for
this new engineering and managerial challenge. The Johnson Space
Center in Houston, Texas, has been designated as the "lead center"
for the program. And at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC, a new
office has been established to direct the Space Station program.
This new office, the Office of Space Station, is headed by NASA
Associate Administrator Philip E. Culbertson.
Figure 1 conceptually portrays the architecture of a permanently
manned Space Station. The concept includes both manned and unmanned
elements and also includes the Space Shuttle as an integral element.
Unmanned platforms, one of which is expected to be in a polar orbit,
and servicing capabilities are key features of the concept. They
will be important drivers of the final design.
Figure 1. Space Station Program Architecture
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What this architecture might look like in a Space Station configura-
tion is shown in Figure 2. Equally important is the built-in
ability of the initial Space Station to evolve over time into a more
capable system. Growth elements are part and parcel of the Space
Station architecture.
Figure 2.
Each year in January, the President of the United States gives a
major address to the Congress called the "State of the Union"
Address and, for both the Executive and Legislative branches of
government, it is a major event. This year President Reagan's State
of the Union message marked a recommitment to space on the part of
the United States. The President stated:
"We can follow our dreams to distant stars, living
and working in space for peaceful, economic, and
scientific gain. Tonight, I am directing NASA to
develop a permanently manned Space Station and to
do it within a decade."
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The response in Congress to the President's initiative was positive
and supportive. Both the House of Representatives and the Senate
carefully reviewed the Space Station Program. In providing the
initial funding, Congress has endorsed the idea of a Space Station
as the next logical step in space for the United States. As impor-
tantly, this legislative action continues the bipartisan partnership
between the President and Congress that has characterized the
American space program from its inception.
Space Station planning in the United States has followed a set of
guidelines that have included a set of major management and engi-
neering criteria. These guidelines are shown in Table 1.
MANAGEMENT RELATED
? Three year extensive definition
(5-10% of program cost)
? NASA-wide participation
? Development funding in FY 1987
? IOC: early 1990's
? Cost of initial capability: $8.0B
? Extensive user involvement
ENGINEERING RELATED
? Continuously habitable
? Shuttle dependent
? Manned and unmanned
elements
? Evolutionary
? Maintainable/restorable
? Operationally semi-autonomous
? Customer friendly
? Technology transparent
- Science and applications
- Technology
- Commercial
? International participation
Table 1. Space Station Planning Guidelines
The U.S. Space Station program plans to have an initial operational
capability (IOC) in the early 1990's. As proposed, the program
envisions a U.S. investment of some $8.0 billion to achieve this
capability. This estimate does not include operational costs nor
the costs of scientific or commercial payload development. An
in-depth, extended definition period will precede the development
phase and the utilization emphasis that marked the preliminary NASA
Space Station study activities will continue through both definition
and design.
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Noteworthy among the engineering-related guidelines is the require-
ment for the Space Station to be operationally semi-autonomous from
the ground. For a facility that will be permanently manned and in
operation 365 days a year, the type of extensive, tightly controlled
ground direction used in the past is prohibitedly expensive and
probably not warranted, given likely advances in technology and
increased emphasis on human productivity.
Perhaps the most significant engineering criteria is that the Space
Station be designed and built so that it will be evolutionary in all
aspects including size, capability and technology. Figures 3-5
present drawings highlighting this evolutionary dimension. Of
course, the drawings are illustrative only. Decisions on Space
Station elements will be developed during the definition studies
that will be initiated next year. These illustrations incorporate
another key planning guideline, the prospect for international
cooperation in the U.S. Space Station Program. This guideline is
discussed separately below.
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As shown in Table 2, the U.S. Space Station will be a multi-
functional facility that will serve diverse needs. Not all of the
capabilities required to satisfy these diverse needs will be incor-
porated in the initial operational capability. For example, the
transportation function associated with the Space Station requires
an Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV). This vehicle is currently under
study. It is planned for use in the mid-1990's and will represent a
significant addition to the IOC capabilities.
? On-orbit laboratory
-Science and applications
-Technology
? Permanent observatory(s)
? Transportation node .
? Servicing repair facility
-Free flyers
-Platforms
? Manufacturing facility
? Assembly facility
A space station is a multi-purpose facility
Table 2. Functions of a Space Station
POTENTIAL FOR INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
President Reagan's State of the Union address contained an important
message to U.S. allies and friends:
"A Space Station will permit quantum leaps in our
research in science, communications and in metals
and life saving medicines which can be manufactured
only in space. We want our friends to help us meet
these challenges and share in the benefits. NASA
will invite other countries to participate so we can
strengthen peace, build prosperity and expand freedom
for all who share our goals."
At the President's request, NASA Administrator James M. Beggs
visited Europe, Canada, and Japan last spring to explain the Presi-
dent's offer and to review the Space Station activity NASA initiated
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in response to Mr. Reagan's directive. His impression was that
interest in these countries is substantial, an impression confirmed
by the efforts now underway there to specify what elements of a
Space Station might be examined in definition studies to be under-
taken separately but in coordination with NASA. The recent approval
by the European Space Agency (ESA) Council to conduct such studies
and to designate ESA as Europe's negotiator with NASA on the Space
Station Program is seen in the United States as a significant step
toward meaningful participation in the Program.
Perhaps even more significant are the Space Station discussions that
took place at the recent London Economic Summit. President Reagan
reviewed the program with Prime Minister Thatcher, Prime Minister
Nakasone, and other leaders, as shown in Figure 6. The official
communique of the Summit noted that the U.S. will report on the
Program at next year's Economic Summit to be held in Bonn, Germany.
Figure 6.
The concept of international cooperation with NASA in peaceful space
activities is not new. Such cooperation is a stated objective of
the U.S. civil space program as set forth in the National Aeronau-
tics and Space Act of 1958.
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Over the past 25 years the United States has entered into over 1,000
agreements for cooperative activities with over 100 nations. These
activities have been of mutual benefit to both the United States and
the cooperative partners. Perhaps the most notable recent examples
are the Spacelab, developed by the European Space Agency per the
Space Shuttle Program, and the Shuttle's Remote Manipulator System,
built by Canada and used so effectively earlier this year in the
repair of the Solar Maximum Mission Spacecraft. A key example in
future programs is the retropropulsion module now under construction
by West Germany for the Galileo spacecraft which will be launched to
Jupiter in 1986.
A number of primary criteria or guidelines have been followed in
these programs. Government agreements are reached in which each
partner accepts full technical and financial responsibility for
their portion of the program. A minimal of technical information is
exchanged, only that necessary to achieve an effective interface,
and clear technical interfaces are preserved. A major consideration
is utilization by the partner of the end product.
As depicted in Table 3, there are three primary modes of interna-
tional participation in the United States Space Program. As a
customer-oriented facility, the Space Station will be available to
countries whether or not they participate in the development phase.
And any nation with significant involvement in the development phase
as a builder will have a role to play in the operation of the Space
Station itself. However, NASA hopes that partners in the Space
Station endeavor will be involved in all phases of the program:
development, utilization, and operations.
Three Types of Potential Cooperation:
USER -Defines missions and utilizes station capabilities
BUILDER - Participates in definition and development
programs
- Contributes to station capabilities
OPERATOR -Support in operational phase
Table 3. Space Station Program International Cooperation
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We in the United States believe that the private sector role in
space will increase substantially in the future. A key dimension of
President Reagan's national space policy is to foster such par-
ticipation. The policy states in part:
"The United States Government will provide a climate
conducive to expanded private sector investment and
involvement in space activities, with due regard to
public safety and national security."
Space, of course, is already commercialized. In the United States
and Europe, the communications industry is in large part space-
based. In the United Kingdom, for example, industry has benefited
from an early recognition that "comsats" could be a profitable
undertaking. Launch vehicles and upper stages are presently sub-
jects of commercial investment. Efforts to make remote sensing from
satellites profitable are underway in France and the U.S. Materials
processing is also a candidate for space-based commercial activi-
ties. Research in West Germany, Japan, and the United States point
to a potentially large market for materials processed in space.
In response to a recent Presidential directive intended to acceler-
ate participation of the private sector in space, NASA has begun to
reexamine its own role in fostering the commercial utilization of
space. New policies and accompanying organizational changes are
expected shortly. The Agency realizes that the initial front end
risks of space ventures must be reduced. It understands that the
research data base supporting such ventures must be expanded. It
also understands that respect for intellectual property and propri-
etary data are essential requirements for any commercial endeavor in
space. And it knows that for space to realize its true commercial
potential, practical-minded businessmen must be convinced that their
company can profit by going into space.
In planning the Space Station, NASA is focusing upon making sure the
Station is conducive to use by customers, one category of which is
expected to be commercial enterprises.
The benefits to commercial customers of an operational Space Station
in orbit and "open for business" are several. The Station itself,
as a permanent facility, offers the kind of program stability and
continuity private investors seek. Another benefit is the capabil-
ity represented by the pressurized laboratory module(s) that will
serve both science and commerce. Another is the repair and assembly
capability the Space Station will have. Still another, and perhaps
a critical one, is the presence of man, permanently and without the
constraints of time now associated with space flight.
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Further into the future as new technologies mature and as experience
is gained with the Space Station's repair and assembly capabilities,
commercial prospects look even brighter. Indeed it is not difficult
to see a separate Space Station, owned by private business, devoted
exclusively to commercial operations.
Current Space Station planning schedules are shown in Figures 7 and
8. Important milestones include the negotiation of definition phase
agreements targeted for completion by the end of this year between
the U.S. and potential partners in the Space Station endeavor and
the beginning of NASA's own definition studies in April, 1985.
The United States is now committed to developing a permanently
manned Space Station within a decade. President Reagan has invited
U.S. allies and friends to join in this endeavor. A Space Station
will advance science, stimulate technology and support commerce. It
also will foster the goal we share of using space peacefully and
productively.
There is a challenge here for all of us. That challenge is to
discern and then capture the enormous potential a Space Station
offers. It is a challenge for us in the United States and it is a
challenge for you here in the United Kingdom and on the Continent.
NASA is now hard at work planning the Space Station Program. In a
wide range of endeavors, engineering, user requirements, and tech-
nology, work is proceeding at full speed. NASA intends to keep its
potential international partners fully informed of this activity and
hopes to involve them more deeply in future planning once formal
agreements on definition studies are established. NASA's goal is to
develop and operate a Space Station with significant international
and commercial participation. The result can be a new capability in
space that is of benefit to all.
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ATP - AUTHORITY TO PROCEED ON CONTRACT
CDR - CRITICAL DESIGN REVIEW
SDR - SYSTEM DESIGN REVIEW
SRR - SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS REVIEW
DSG-2O73
8/22/84
IRR - INTERFACE REQUIREMENTS REVIEW
PDR - PRELIMINARY DESIGN REVIEW
Q - LEVEL A CONTROLLED MILESTONE
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FY'84
FY'8S
FY'86
FY'87
FY'88
FY'88
FY'80
FY'81
FY"82
Y' FY 86 BUDGET
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DEFINITION PHASE
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? REQUREMENTS & ANALYSIS
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- MISSION REQUREMENTS
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EMENT DEFINITION
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- DESIGN EVALUATION
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? ADVANCED DEVELOPMENT
----------------
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DEVELOPMENT PHASE
V
FY'8T ATP POR CDR
BUDGET
? BLCOKIDEVELOPMENi
Figure 7. Space Station Planning Schedule
FY'84
FY'8S
FY'86
FY'87
FY'88
LEVEL A MILESTONES
RELEASE DRAFT RFP WITH REF. CONFIG.
A
RELEASE RFP
RECEIPT OF DOMESTIC PROPOSALS
DEFINITION PERIOD
ATP
IRR $
EVALUATION
SRR
INITIATE PHASE C/D
Ara
A
PDR
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
MILESTONES
ESTABLISH INT'L WORKING GROUP
A
DEVELOP GUIDELINES FOR PARTICIPATION
V
LONDON SUMMIT
A
WORKSHOP WITH POTENTIAL PARTICPANTS
A
SECOND WORKSHOP - RFP DRAFT
RECEIPT OF INT'L PHASE B PLANS
REVIEW INTERNATIONAL PLANS
U.S. RESPONSE TO INTERNATIONAL
PHASE B CONTENT
NEGOTIATE INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS
INITIATION OF INT'L PHASE B STUDIES
IRR
INITIATION OF PHASE C/D/E CONTENT
DISCUSSIONS AND MORE NEGOTIATIONS
INITIATE PHASE C/D
ATP - AUTHORITY TO PROCEED SDR - SYSTEM DESIGN REVIEW
RR - INTERFACE REOUREMENTS REVIEW PDR - PRELIMINARY DESIGN REVIEW
SRR - SYSTEM REOUREMENTS REVIEW
Figure 8. International Cooperation and Planning
for Phase B Definition
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