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Unmanned Spaceflight.com _ Manned Spaceflight _ International Space Station (ISS)

Posted by: ljk4-1 Dec 12 2005, 10:33 PM

Review of NASA Plans for the International Space Station

Review of NASA Strategic Roadmaps: Space Station Panel, National Research Council

80 pages (approximate), 8 1/2 x 11, 2005

In January 2004, President Bush announced a new space policy directed at human and robotic exploration of space. In June 2004, the President s Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy issued a report recommending among other things that NASA ask the National Research Council (NRC) to reevaluate space science priorities to take advantage of the exploration vision. Congress also directed the NRC to conduct a thorough review of the science NASA is proposing to undertake within the initiative. In February 2005, the NRC released Science in NASA s Vision for Space Exploration, the first report of the two studies undertaken to carry out these requests. The second report focuses on NASA s plan for the ISS. This report provides broad advice on programmatic issues that NASA is likely to face as it attempts to develop an updated ISS utilization plan. It also presents an assessment of potentially important research and testbed activities that may have to be performed on the ISS to help ensure success of some exploration objectives.

http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11512.html

Posted by: The Messenger Dec 13 2005, 04:42 PM

From Space Reference Daily:

QUOTE
-- What Mike Griffin *Really* Thinks About NRC's Space Station Report
http://www.nasawatch.com/archives/2005/12/mike_griffins_p.html


"Bottom line, we're going to have to answer the specific issues in this report. We're going to have
to define the program of activity for ISS that obtains from it the utility that it can provide. We may
NOT be able to fund that activity at present; I consider that almost a fact on the ground. But we
can put in place the kind of peer-reviewed science that we WOULD do, given the money, and that
we WILL do, when we can afford it."


Bob Park's relentless campaign against the ISS is taking its toll...

Posted by: PhilCo126 Jan 27 2006, 09:06 AM

Well, two excellent books on ISS are the BIS volumes 1 & 2 of " International Space Station - From Imagination to Reality " available at:

http://www.bis-spaceflight.com/sitesia.aspx/page/128/Node/108/l/nl-be

Volume 2 for instance has a complete chapter on all EVAs - spacewalks conducted up to 2005 with each astronaut's individual portrait !
A must have
wink.gif wink.gif

Posted by: Bob Shaw Jan 27 2006, 06:59 PM

Does this count as an unmanned spacecraft?

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/SuitSat_To_Be_Thrown_Overboard_February_3.html

Bob Shaw

Posted by: ljk4-1 Jan 27 2006, 07:15 PM

QUOTE (Bob Shaw @ Jan 27 2006, 01:59 PM)
Does this count as an unmanned spacecraft?

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/SuitSat_To_Be_Thrown_Overboard_February_3.html

Bob Shaw
*


See also:

http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?showtopic=2128&view=findpost&p=38548

Posted by: tty Jan 27 2006, 07:17 PM

QUOTE (Bob Shaw @ Jan 27 2006, 08:59 PM)
Does this count as an unmanned spacecraft?

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/SuitSat_To_Be_Thrown_Overboard_February_3.html

Bob Shaw
*


"uninhabited" would perhaps be a better term? smile.gif

tty

Posted by: ljk4-1 Jan 28 2006, 01:53 AM

QUOTE (PhilCo126 @ Jan 27 2006, 04:06 AM)
Well, two excellent books on ISS are the BIS volumes 1 & 2 of " International Space Station - From Imagination to Reality " available at:

http://www.bis-spaceflight.com/sitesia.aspx/page/128/Node/108/l/nl-be

Volume 2 for instance has a complete chapter on all EVAs - spacewalks conducted up to 2005 with each astronaut's individual portrait !
A must have
wink.gif  wink.gif
*


This NASA book, Walking to Olympus by David S. F. Portree and Robert C. Trevino, has details of every EVA from 1965 to 1997:

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/spacenews/factsheets/pdfs/EVACron.pdf

Posted by: ljk4-1 Feb 8 2006, 07:16 PM

Astrophysics, abstract
astro-ph/0602151

From: Claudine Tur [view email] [via CCSD proxy]

Date: Tue, 7 Feb 2006 08:21:27 GMT (105kb)

Results from the ULTRA experiment in the framework of the EUSO project

Authors: G. Agnetta, P. Assis, B. Biondo, P. Brogueira, A. Cappa, O. Catalano, J. Chauvin (LPSC), G. D'Ali Staiti, M. Dattoli, M.C. Espirito-Santo, L. Fava, P. Galeotti, S. Giarrusso, G. Gugliotta, G. La Rosa, D. Lebrun (LPSC), M.C. Maccarone, A. Mangano, L. Melo, S. Moreggia (LPSC), M. Pimenta, F. Russo, O. Saavedra, P. Scarsi, J.C. Silva, P. Stassi (LPSC), B. Tomè, P. Vallania, C. Vigorito, the EUSO Collaboration

Report-no: LPSC 05167

The detection of Cerenkov light from EAS in a delayed coincidence with fluorescence light gives a strong signature to discriminate protons and neutrinos in cosmic rays. For this purpose, the ULTRA experiment has been designed with 2 detectors: a small EAS array (ETscope) and an UV optical device including wide field (Belenos) and narrow field (UVscope) Cerenkov light detectors. The array measures the shower size and the arrival direction of the incoming EAS, while the UV devices, pointing both to zenith and nadir, are used to determine the amount of direct and diffused coincident Cerenkov light.

This information, provided for different diffusing surfaces, will be used to verify the possibility of detecting from Space the Cerenkov light produced by UHECRs with the EUSO experiment, on board the ISS.

http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0602151

Posted by: peter59 Feb 25 2006, 07:24 PM

Next example of effective utilization of ISS research facilities.

http://www.flatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060225/NEWS02/602250341/1007

What a completely idiotic idea.
ISS should be abandoned, de-orbited and dumped into the ocean before we waste another billion dollars.

Posted by: BruceMoomaw Feb 25 2006, 11:53 PM

Well, maybe we can reach a general consensus on THAT, at any rate. When you have a $100 billion "science facility" whose "experiments" would all be rejected by a junior high school science fair, the situation is a bit much. (I suggested a few years ago that if the amateur rocketry people REALLY wanted to make a major contribution to space exploration, their most productive move would be to wait until the Station was uninhabited and then launch a small suborbital rocket loaded with ball bearings in its path.)

Posted by: RNeuhaus Feb 26 2006, 08:10 PM

I think that to have an operable ISS would be very useful thing for any emergency logistics of any further space exploration. I don't agree that ISS project would be cancelled.

Rodolfo

Posted by: peter59 Mar 2 2006, 09:21 AM

Some hard questions.

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewnews.html?id=1093

Posted by: michaelSN99 Mar 4 2006, 07:58 PM

the ISS does better to be in the news with a newly revealed and hopefully working assembly sequence than golf shot headlines !!!

Posted by: ljk4-1 Mar 14 2006, 05:36 PM

Msnbc.com (Oberg) -- Space station set for rare eclipse encounter

By chance, orbital crew is due to come within sight of moon's shadow

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11763975/

By James Oberg, NBC News space analyst

Special to MSNBC // Updated: 1:03 a.m. ET March 13, 2006

When the shadow from a total solar eclipse sweeps over Earth on March 29, two
skywatchers should have a guaranteed cloud-free view of the spectacle: NASA
astronaut Bill McArthur and Russian cosmonaut Valery Tokarev, the current
residents of the international space station.

The date with an eclipse will serve as a fitting celestial sendoff for the
station's Expedition 12 crew members, just days before a new international crew
arrives to take their place.

Between now and then, McArthur and Tokarev will be cleaning up and packing up
for the transition. Also on the agenda for the weeks ahead are a couple of tests
designed to assure space station operations for years to come.

The crew's date with an eclipse is something that NASA says is an unexpected
"bonus." Only a handful of humans have witnessed such a phenomenon, and it's not
clear whether the crew will be able to do anything beyond photographing the
moon's shadow on Earth beneath them.

At one point, it looked as if the space station would be flying right through
the shadow.

The station's Zvezda service module had been scheduled to fire up its rocket
engines on Wednesday to adjust the orbit in anticipation of the replacement
crew's launch on March 30. According to German space engineer Gerhard Holtkamp,
that maneuver would have put the station right in the path of the eclipse over
the coast of southern Turkey.

"With the eclipse shadow moving at triple the speed of sound, and the ISS
faster still, the whole thing is a little like shooting two bullets out of
different directions and trying to make them hit each other," he told MSNBC.com
in an e-mail.

Sources within NASA's Mission Control told MSNBC.com that the maneuver had
nothing to do with the eclipse. "It's to set up phasing and lighting for the
next Soyuz exchange," one expert explained in an e-mail. "The eclipse is a
bonus."

Posted by: ljk4-1 Jun 1 2006, 02:18 PM

NASA Science News for June 1, 2006

A little droid is roaming the corridors of the International Space Station, and more are on the way.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/01jun_spheres.htm?list161084

Posted by: Richard Trigaux Jun 1 2006, 02:48 PM

QUOTE (ljk4-1 @ Jun 1 2006, 02:18 PM) *
NASA Science News for June 1, 2006

A little droid is roaming the corridors of the International Space Station, and more are on the way.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/01jun_spheres.htm?list161084


This story is a bit funny, to have a mini-satellite floating free in the ISS and wandering into the corridors following air movements. That treminds me of an experience I did, taking a small helium baloon (in the shape of a dolphin, bought in a fair) and add it some weight so that it floated without falling nor rising, and let it float freely into my home. It was a bit amazing to see how it managed to travel everywhere, and go from a room to another despites the narrower doors. Wherever it remained stuck, it was free some hours later. But most usually its favourite occupation was to rise above a radiator, scrape the cieling, and descend on the other side of the room, following convection patterns. The ISS people will have some fun with them.

Posted by: lyford Jun 1 2006, 07:38 PM

Hmmm. "Her resistance to the mind probe is considerable."


Posted by: ljk4-1 Jun 1 2006, 09:17 PM

QUOTE (lyford @ Jun 1 2006, 03:38 PM) *
Hmmm. "Her resistance to the mind probe is considerable."



The actual model for the ISS robot from Star Wars was that light saber
practice ball Luke used aboard the Millennium Falcon.

It was originally supposed to be a police drone seen floating around
Tatooine designed to target and zap criminals and other undesirables
of the Empire.

The robot was also an early model for the Death Star, if memory serves.

Posted by: ustrax Jun 13 2006, 09:31 AM

I'm going to take a look... smile.gif

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMA64AATME_index_0.html

Posted by: Jeff7 Jun 13 2006, 01:10 PM

QUOTE (ljk4-1 @ Jun 1 2006, 10:18 AM) *
NASA Science News for June 1, 2006

A little droid is roaming the corridors of the International Space Station, and more are on the way.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/01jun_spheres.htm?list161084


From the article:
"If a solar flare zaps one satellite—no problem."
So they want to launch more satellites, that are disposable to a degree. I just wonder how long until lower Earth Orbit will resemble a giant floating landfill, too dangerous for most spacecraft to safely navigate for prolonged periods.

Posted by: ustrax Sep 21 2006, 02:59 PM

You beautiful tiny one...:

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMRHL8LURE_FeatureWeek_0.html

smile.gif

Posted by: MahFL Sep 22 2006, 10:39 AM

I just saw the ISS and it does indeed look brighter after the addition of the 2nd set of Solar Arrays.

Posted by: ljk4-1 Sep 22 2006, 11:30 AM

I wonder if the ISS will be like the Iridium satellites, making spectacular flashes
when sunlight hits the solar panels just right?

http://www.satobs.org/iridium.html

Posted by: remcook Sep 22 2006, 11:32 AM

looks from that website it's not the solar panels that flash. Solar panels will be at right angles to the sun if possible.

Posted by: djellison Sep 22 2006, 11:42 AM

Solar Panels will always be oriented as best they can toward the sun. Iridium sats are a special case - they have a set of large aluminium antennae that are at an angle that reflects light onto the ground just right to create the flares.

http://www.obsat.com/irimage_e.html


of course, there's always still scope for the odd flash or flicks if the angle between a part of the station and the sun is right- but I don't think we'll ever see things like the flares occuring.

Of course - if it gets to mag -3 or lower - then we're talking brighter than 50% of Iridium flares anyway smile.gif

Doug

Posted by: ugordan Sep 22 2006, 01:03 PM

QUOTE (djellison @ Sep 22 2006, 12:42 PM) *
Of course - if it gets to mag -3 or lower - then we're talking brighter than 50% of Iridium flares anyway smile.gif

That reminds me of one night a while ago, I was watching TV in a dark room and suddenly a bright flash out the window in the corner of my eye caugh my attention. It lasted for maybe a second or two, but was really bright. I immediately felt it had to either be an almost stationary meteor (it was a slow mover) or an Iridium flare, so one check at www.heavens-above.com and there it was: -8 magnitude, predicted right at the time I saw it.
The thing still remains the brightest flare I saw. If only I was looking directly at it!

Posted by: PhilCo126 Sep 23 2006, 07:32 AM

Current position of the ISS:
http://www.heavens-above.com/

Posted by: RNeuhaus Sep 23 2006, 02:18 PM

QUOTE (ljk4-1 @ Sep 22 2006, 06:30 AM) *
I wonder if the ISS will be like the Iridium satellites, making spectacular flashes
when sunlight hits the solar panels just right?

http://www.satobs.org/iridium.html

Yes, now the ISS is brighter equaling to Venus' ones with the maximum albedo of -3.0 at the proper angle against the sun.

Rodolfo
P.D.Opps, I saw others comment the same about the ISS's abedo as me!

Posted by: David Sep 23 2006, 02:47 PM

QUOTE (ugordan @ Sep 22 2006, 01:03 PM) *
That reminds me of one night a while ago, I was watching TV in a dark room and suddenly a bright flash out the window in the corner of my eye caugh my attention. It lasted for maybe a second or two, but was really bright. I immediately felt it had to either be an almost stationary meteor (it was a slow mover) or an Iridium flare, so one check at www.heavens-above.com and there it was: -8 magnitude, predicted right at the time I saw it.
The thing still remains the brightest flare I saw. If only I was looking directly at it!


Back in the old days (say the 1920s-1950s) when engineers were still full of technological hubris (I'm not saying they aren't still, but people are more cynical about that sort of thing now), there were suggestions to orient mirrors in Earth orbit to catch the sunlight and create "permanent daylight" on the nightside.

That's both undesirable and probably impractical, but the phenomenon you describe suggests that, with a degree of control, it might be possible to intentionally illuminate small areas on the Earth's surface for short periods of time, which could be useful in certain instances.

Posted by: jamescanvin Sep 23 2006, 11:44 PM

The russians actually tried this back in 1998, but the mirrior failed to deploy.


Posted by: MarkG Oct 4 2006, 01:22 AM

QUOTE
That's both undesirable and probably impractical, but the phenomenon you describe suggests that, with a degree of control, it might be possible to intentionally illuminate small areas on the Earth's surface for short periods of time, which could be useful in certain instances.


The US military had a plan to illuminate the Vietnamese jungles at night by launching modified LEMs with huge inflatable mirrors attached into orbit. It seemed fairly plausible, though incredibly expensive (then again, compared to the cost of the Vietnam war, maybe a few Saturn V launches wouldn't be so costly after all!).

Posted by: paxdan Oct 10 2006, 06:46 PM

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/default.stm

Posted by: paxdan Oct 10 2006, 06:56 PM

The 'cast has begun...

Posted by: ustrax Oct 24 2006, 04:07 PM

http://www.esa.int/esaHS/SEM7WVOFHTE_index_0.html smile.gif

Posted by: Adam Oct 24 2006, 05:35 PM

QUOTE (ustrax @ Oct 24 2006, 06:07 PM) *
http://www.esa.int/esaHS/SEM7WVOFHTE_index_0.html smile.gif

Ja! Seriously, this is about time. After this our media might finally focus on something else.

Posted by: tty Oct 24 2006, 06:36 PM

QUOTE (ustrax @ Oct 24 2006, 06:07 PM) *
http://www.esa.int/esaHS/SEM7WVOFHTE_index_0.html smile.gif


That is "är det någon som vill säga några ord på Svenska", and Celsius certainly didn't invent the thermometer, he invented the centigrade scale.
And seriously adam, you can't really hope that swedish media would be interested in something so politically incorrect as spaceflight.

tty

Posted by: Adam Oct 24 2006, 08:25 PM

QUOTE (tty @ Oct 24 2006, 08:36 PM) *
That is "är det någon som vill säga några ord på Svenska", and Celsius certainly didn't invent the thermometer, he invented the centigrade scale.
And seriously adam, you can't really hope that swedish media would be interested in something so politically incorrect as spaceflight.

tty

The only space-related thing that Swedish media is "interested" in is this (atleast it seems like that, everytime i check aftonbladet there's a new "Fuglesangs space travel delayed" article), so I hope they can finally cover something else spaceflight related, since his mission might create some kind of brief spaceflight/astronomy interest. But I guess your right, since most swedes seem to consider space science/travel/whatever as a huge waste of money.

Posted by: ustrax Oct 26 2006, 08:58 AM

http://www.esa.int/esaHS/SEMHR7PFHTE_iss_0.html cool.gif

+

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/MM_NTV_Breaking.html:
October 26, Thursday
10 a.m. - ISS Progress 23 Docking to the ISS Coverage (docking occurs at 10:28 a.m.) - JSC (Public and Media Channels)

Posted by: general Oct 26 2006, 05:03 PM

According to http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6089066.stm, the docking has failed ohmy.gif sad.gif

Posted by: MahFL Oct 26 2006, 05:13 PM

Sounds like they may just need to get the antenna folded, then re dock.

""There was some problem with achieving a perfect seal," he said. "We have had such incidents before and it is not something extraordinary."

Sounds fixable.

Posted by: djellison Oct 26 2006, 05:48 PM

Just caught it going overhead....part built shedoffice at the bottom there smile.gif

Doug

 

Posted by: ustrax Oct 31 2006, 03:10 PM

QUOTE (djellison @ Oct 26 2006, 05:48 PM) *
Just caught it going overhead....part built shedoffice at the bottom there smile.gif

Doug


Great!
At the indicated time here on sunny Portugal was still too bright to see something rolleyes.gif

Posted by: djellison Nov 9 2007, 10:45 AM

Just a bit of fun - badly done (shadows wrong etc etc )

I might try and do one with the modules finished - as with Destiny we have a sutiable stand in for the Japan module (missing the external platform). Cut a segment out and it's Columbus smile.gif

Doug

 

Posted by: PhilCo126 Nov 9 2007, 02:47 PM

Well this being an ISS topic, I would like to point out 2 books, unavailable via Amazon so a bit unknwon, but 2 excellent (technical detailed) volumes!
The 2nd has all color portraits of male & female astronauts who performed an EVA to help constructing the ISS:


http://www.bis-spaceflight.com/sitesia.aspx/page/170/id/169/l/en-us
http://www.bis-spaceflight.com/sitesia.aspx/page/170/id/279/l/en-us

Posted by: djellison Nov 12 2007, 11:58 PM

A bit more fudgey - a sort of ISS config that will never happen ( S6 + Columbus sans Kibo )

Doug

 

Posted by: punkboi Nov 13 2007, 01:46 AM

Still a nice composite...though you have Columbus and Kibo on the wrong sides of Harmony. Oh well tongue.gif

Posted by: djellison Nov 13 2007, 09:32 AM

LOL - DOH!!! Yup - I was thinking from the top, but editing from the bottom. Oops smile.gif Well -MOVE OVER KIBO, Columbus is coming smile.gif

Doug

Posted by: ilbasso Nov 13 2007, 08:09 PM

One thing they did on or just before this mission, which I haven't seen mentioned anywhere but is clearly visible on the photos, is that they partially retracted the solar panels on Zarya. I haven't seen any approach photos of ISS (before docking) from STS 120, but the Zarya panels were fully extended at the end of Endeavour's mission in August.

Posted by: punkboi Nov 13 2007, 08:16 PM

The Zarya panels were retracted a few weeks before STS-120 launched. There was an article on it on Space.com

Posted by: djellison Nov 13 2007, 09:00 PM

Yup - they had to retract them to make room for the deployment of two further radiators which can now happily rotate fully with a full compliment of three radiators. I assume the other side will have it's final two deployed once S6 goes up

Doug

Posted by: jmjawors Nov 14 2007, 12:07 AM

The starboard radiators will be deployed after Harmony is moved. Kind of a clearance issue right now.

Posted by: nprev Nov 14 2007, 01:08 AM

Hmm. Anybody know if extra precautions will be required for these panel redeployments in light of the malfunction? And actually, has NASA found a root cause for the hangup/tear yet?

EDIT: D'oh!!! Never mind; I read "radiators" and thought "solar arrays"...

Posted by: punkboi Nov 14 2007, 03:57 AM

QUOTE (jmjawors @ Nov 13 2007, 04:07 PM) *
The starboard radiators will be deployed after Harmony is moved. Kind of a clearance issue right now.


You mean port-side

Posted by: jmjawors Nov 14 2007, 04:22 AM

Yup. Port. Whoops! wacko.gif

Posted by: punkboi Nov 14 2007, 07:05 PM

Squinting your eyes and ignoring the white clouds, and you can imagine that THAT'S Mars that Harmony is floating above... mars.gif


 

Posted by: climber Nov 14 2007, 10:42 PM

In case you missed it, Harmony's now in its final spot : http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0711/14harmony/index.html
"Only" 2 more spacewalk to go to complete set up and clear next Shuttle launch yet in another 3 weeks. Incredible time for the ISS.
BTW the 2 spacewalks will ne N°98 & 99 of ISS construction.

Posted by: punkboi Nov 15 2007, 07:34 PM

NASA TV reported earlier today that the port-side radiators have been fully deployed.

Posted by: stevesliva Nov 30 2007, 04:45 PM

Hopefully this is spurious:
http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0711/28harmonyleak/

Wouldn't want to lose 3lbs of air per day.

Posted by: ilbasso Nov 30 2007, 06:06 PM

The spaceflight.nasa.gov website has this update, although it hasn't changed since Thursday:

"Wednesday night the Expedition 16 crew closed hatches to the vestibule between Harmony Node and Destiny Laboratory to support a second overnight leak check. When Commander Peggy Whitson opened the Destiny Lab forward hatch Thursday morning, there did not appear to be any pressure change between the Lab and the vestibule. If there had been a leak in the vestibule, a pressure drop would have been observed. Telemetry from this morning also suggested that the vestibule did not leak overnight. Specialists in Mission Control Center Houston will continue to analyze all data from both overnight leak checks."

Posted by: djellison Nov 30 2007, 09:42 PM

On the space multimedia website ( http://www.space-multimedia.nl.eu.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3070&Itemid=2 ) is a lovely video of Peggy opening both hatches, drifiting into a dark Harmony, and turning the light on. It may seem a silly thing - but I don't think I've seen someone open the door, and turn on the light before smile.gif

Doug

Posted by: ElkGroveDan Dec 1 2007, 12:21 AM

It's kind of funny to see her working in this high-tech setting barefoot. I guess there's no real reason to wear shoes in space, but it does stand out.

Posted by: PhilCo126 Dec 1 2007, 04:19 PM

Normally they wear these: http://www.hammacher.com/publish/60665.asp?promo=ap_slippers

Another image of June 2007: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-15/lores/iss015e10579.jpg

Posted by: punkboi Dec 1 2007, 08:56 PM

Are those available at retail stores? I wonder how much they'll sell for at Walmart tongue.gif

Posted by: dvandorn Dec 2 2007, 08:57 AM

In a microgravity environment, your feet and toes dramatically gain usefulness. I read a breakdown somewhere of how various Skylab and early ISS crew adapted to microgravity, and a certain percentage ended up going barefoot a lot, using their toes to grab onto little "toeholds" in their environments and help stabilize their lower bodies when stopping to do some transient activity for which strapping in or down is way too much activity overhead.

One of the more interesting results of the Skylab experience that was actually taken into account in the design of the ISS modules was the breakdown of how people orient themselves within a microgravity environment. Going entirely from memory, I believe it was something like a third who felt comfortable no matter what direction their heads were pointed at any given time, guys who would have happily tossed workstations anywhere on a floor, ceiling or wall. Then there was a third that preferred to have a sense of local vertical congruent to their surroundings, people who liked to keep their feet pointed towards a "floor" and their heads towards a "ceiling", but who could easily work in odd angles if they needed to. And finally, there was a third who really strongly needed the local vertical, people who got physically uncomfortable in locations like the Multiple Docking Adapter, which had no local verticals but literally plastered the interior with equipment and control consoles.

Because of this, the third who would be happy hanging any which way were outvoted, and the ISS modules are all built with a pretty strong sense of local vertical. And most of the eventual labs will share the same local vertical, minimizing disorientation going from module to module. So, this is one instance where it would seem lessons were indeed learned and applied to later programs.

-the other Doug

Posted by: David Dec 2 2007, 05:27 PM

QUOTE (dvandorn @ Dec 2 2007, 08:57 AM) *
In a microgravity environment, your feet and toes dramatically gain usefulness.


Who knew that being descended from arboreal apes would turn out to be so useful? Now, if only we'd retained grasping hind-paws -- perhaps some future genetic engineer can restore that bit of hominid heritage. laugh.gif

Posted by: ilbasso Dec 2 2007, 06:33 PM

Another fun thing about being off of your feet for 180 days is that the callouses peel off the bottoms of your feet. For some folks, that can be quite a thick piece of skin! I would imagine that walking on uncalloused feet adds to the discomfort that people experience when they have to readjust to moving about on Earth.

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