NASA utilization of ISS -past, present and future

Abstract

Construction of International Space Station (ISS) began in 1998, with permanent human occupancy commencing in late 2000. The first NASA research experiment reached ISS in September 2000. The February 2001 launch of the US Laboratory Destiny enabled the gradual outfitting of the module with research facilities and heralded the start of continuous research operations in March 2001. Initially, the NASA utilization program consisted of basic and applied peer-reviewed research in a variety of research disciplines. Between March 2001 and June 2002, as assembly of the station continued, Destiny was outfitted with seven research racks, launched on the Space Shuttle, to support the planned investigations, also transported to and from ISS on the Shuttle. The Columbia accident in February 2003 grounded the Shuttle fleet for more than two years, during which time NASA relied on Russian vehicles for transportation of research material. This along with the reduction of the ISS crew size from three to two, dramatically impacted the research conducted. The January 2004 announcement of the Vision for Space Exploration significantly altered the focus of NASA’s ISS utilization program toward developing medical countermeasures and using ISS as a technology testbed for exploration missions. The resumption of Shuttle flights in July 2005 also resumed the outfitting of Destiny with research racks, with the subsequent return of ISS crew size to three and resumption of ISS assembly. In late 2007-early 2008, we will see the addition of the European Columbus module, with its five research racks and two external payloads, followed by the Japanese Kibo pressurized modules, with two research racks, and the Canadian dexterous robotic arm. Subsequent Shuttle flights will deliver more NASA racks, the Japanese external pay-load platform and NASA external payloads while Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicles (HTV) will deliver racks and external pay-loads. Significant international collaboration is anticipated. Sometime in 2009, the infrastructure should be in place to enable the ISS crew size to increase to six, expanding the capability to conduct research. With the retirement of the Space Shuttle in late 2010, NASA will once again rely on partner vehicles for transportation until a commercial transportation system and the Crew Exploration Vehicle are in place early in the next decade.