Years of debate, hundreds of studies, thousands of blueprints and billions of dollars - all of this was required for the United States and 15 other countries to begin, this week, the construction of the largest and most complex structure ever built outside of Earth: the International Space Station. 15 years since the American commitment to build a station
Avi Blizovsky and the New York Times
Building the station will require 46 launches and will be completed in * 2004
(* meanwhile extended to 2006)
17/11/1998
A Russian Proton rocket launched on Friday at noon the first component of the International Space Station - a service component known as Zarya. The literal translation of the name Zarya is "sunrise". Zarya separated from the third stage of the Proton rocket 9 minutes and 49 seconds after launch. Within a few minutes the transmission antennas and solar collectors of the component were deployed.
The Zarya component, whose technical name is a functional cargo compartment, will wait in space for more components that will arrive in many launches in the next four to five years. The next part will take off already on December 3 from the American space shuttle Endeavour. The International Space Station will contain components made in Russia, the USA, Canada,
Japan and several countries from Europe. The station will be assembled like Lego during at least 46 launches. The total investment in the project amounts to 60 billion dollars, but in the end there will be only 7 astronauts and cosmonauts of different nationalities on the station at any given time.
The Zarya component will give the designated space station the drive it needs to make orbit corrections as well as electrical energy for its operation from solar radiation. Zaria also has a docking system for Soyuz spacecraft. Zarya was built by the Russians with American funding, the component was built at the Kornichev Space and Aviation Center in Moscow under subcontracting for the Boeing Company - the main contractor of the project for NASA. Therefore the component is considered an American part.
As mentioned, in two weeks the space shuttle Endeavor will connect to Zarya and attach to it the transit cell that will be used in the future as a corridor between Zarya and the living rooms, the laboratories and additional cells that will be added to the laboratory in the future. The next major component to be launched by Russia in July 99 will be the Service Cell Living Quarters, which will then replace some of the functions currently performed in Zaria. In the end, the Zarya will be used for storage as well as a reserve fuel reservoir. Earlier, in May, the Americans will attach to the station a cell containing tools that will allow the next astronauts to assemble the rest of the station's parts themselves. A total of 46 launches are planned.
Only those planned until the year 2000 have an exact launch date. The first crew will arrive at the station only in January 2000 aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft (Soyuz spacecraft will also be used as lifeboats in case the station needs to be abandoned). Until then, the first components will be assembled using the American space shuttles.
The spacecraft will be used for experiments in the fields of life sciences, earth sciences, space sciences, experiments in low gravity, engineering studies and product development for production in space conditions. David Schieffer, director of the Low Gravity Research Project, said that low gravity in space has become an important tool in the development of resistive materials that will be used for advanced applications in electronics, buildings, engines and other innovative products of the 21st century. In low gravity, liquids do not conduct heat or flow because that one part of them is lighter or heavier than the other. Under these conditions, the scientists seek to examine how compounds are formed, and how materials behave to produce small but highly valuable products for use on Earth. ****
Although its participation in the project was questioned due to financial difficulties, it will be the Russian Space Agency that will place the first part of the station in space this Friday. This is about launching the air pressure regulator at the station, which will be in charge of the first drive and the power supply. The weight of the unit, named "Zara" (in Russian, sunrise) - more than 18 tons. According to the plan, it will be launched this Friday using a Proton rocket, from the Baikonur launch base in Kazakhstan.
Next in line will be the USA. On December 3, it will launch the space shuttle Endeavour, which will carry into space a larger unit named "Unity." The unit will connect to the Russian part and will form a link that will also connect future parts of the station.
The station is planned to accommodate, at the same time, up to seven astronauts from the countries participating in the project. Three astronauts are supposed to arrive at the station already at the beginning of the year 2000, long before its construction is completely completed.
The station is one of the largest and most expensive international projects in history. It is estimated that the cost of its construction will reach at least 40 billion dollars, of which the USA will pay more than half; A similar amount will have to be paid by all the participants during the operation of the station, for at least 10 years. For the purpose of construction, at least 43 flights into space will be required, to bring about 408 tons of building materials and supplies to the destination. Among other things, the equipment includes air pressure regulators, metal beams, solar panels, kilometers of electric cables and more.
The American and Russian astronauts who will assemble the equipment will make 144 spacewalks totaling at least 1,800 hours, double the total time American astronauts have spent outside their spacecraft since manned spaceflight began more than four decades ago.
When all the parts are assembled, in 2004, the structure will reach the size of two football fields, while the solar collectors are deployed. The station will include 12 units, including research laboratories; residential areas; support equipment; Air pressure regulation units in a total area, identical to the interior space of two 747 planes, more than 13 thousand mXNUMX.
"The station is being built with the goal of learning how people live and work in space in a safe and productive manner, and for long periods of time," says Daniel Goldin, head of the National Aviation and Space Administration. "This will be a world-class scientific laboratory, which can lead to discoveries and technological advances that will affect the lives of all of us."
Even now, some uncertainties remain regarding costs and schedules.
The third most important train to the station - the service compartment that Russia is supposed to provide - has not yet been completed due to the financial situation of the Russian agency. In fact, the project is already delayed by a year because of this essential unit, which will include living areas and space for laboratories in the early stages of the station's construction.
Last month, NASA announced the assistance program for the Russian agency, following the collapse of the economy in Russia. As part of the plan, the US will flow 600 million dollars over the next four years, for the purpose of completing the service module and preparing it for launch in July 1999. However, even then, it is doubtful whether the Russians will meet their commitments to the project, including the construction of two laboratories, a power plant and a cargo spacecraft to bring supplies.
At the end of last month, President Clinton said, when he arrived at the Kennedy Space Center in honor of the Discovery shuttle flight in which Senator John Glenn also participated, that he supported the transfer of the amount to Russia due to the importance of the international project. Since 1993, the administration has shown a special interest in the station. This year, the project entered a renewed momentum and the Russians also participated in it, this after the Congress was already about to decide to cancel it. According to John Logsdon, director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University, Russia's participation in the project actually saved it because with its help the project could be promoted, while also adding a political purpose to it.
"The public debate changed dramatically after Russia's accession. Today the project enjoys broad political support", he says.
The construction of most of the equipment for the station has already been completed, or is nearing completion. Therefore, even if Russia's role is reduced, there is a reasonable chance that the project will go ahead as planned. "Today I don't think there is any possibility of canceling the program," says Logsdon.
Although the project is the largest and most ambitious, it is not the first space station in history. At the beginning of the space race, President Kennedy considered the possibility that the US would build the first space station and thus conquer space. When it was explained to him that the Soviet Union had a better ability to launch rockets into space, Kennedy raised the bar and asked to land a man on the moon.
It was only when man landed on the moon that NASA became convinced that the next goal was to build a large space station. But then public support for NASA plummeted, and the Nixon administration cut the agency's budget. From then on, NASA focused on developing a space shuttle, and only after it flew successfully did the Americans begin planning the space station.
The Soviets, on the other hand, launched the first space station, Sliot 1, in 1971. Other stations from the Sliot series were larger and more sophisticated and the peak was in 86 when it was launched into space "Mir". This station was the first permanent station and it includes seven separate units weighing over -90 tons. The international station, by the way, is expected to be five times larger than Meir.
The first American space station, Skylab, was launched in 1973. The station was in use for only nine months, during which crews stayed there for various periods, up to 84 days. In 1984, President Reagan, for the first time, put forward the proposal to build an international station, which the USA would be at the head of. Within two years, the European Space Agency and other partners agreed to the proposal. But soon the project got stuck in the mud. "There was no consensus on the type of station that should be built, and it was continually redesigned," says Howard McCurdy, professor of public policy at American University, Washington. "Everyone just agreed that a station was needed. Until '93, 11 billion dollars were wasted on the space station, without anything happening."
In '93, the Clinton administration ordered NASA to design the station again, and this time to also include Russian components. According to this order, the Americans were supposed to spend 17.4 billion dollars on the station in total. But at the beginning of '98, Dan Goldin, the director general of NASA, said that it is likely that the costs will climb to 21.3 billion dollars; Another study by NASA even predicts expenses of 24.7 billion.
The USA's partners in the project are Russia, Japan, Canada, Brazil and the 11 other partners in the European Space Agency: Italy, Germany, France, Great Britain, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. According to the original plan and before the current crisis, Russia's share in the project was supposed to be 10-8 billion dollars. The other partners: Japan 3.1 billion dollars; Canada $850 million; 3.8 billion dollars from the European group (with the exception of Italy which separately contributes 500 million dollars). Experts warn that the cost of the space station may amount to more than dollars. "Like any construction project, this is going to be a risky business," says John Pike, who is responsible for space policy on behalf of the Union of American Scientists. "It must be assumed in advance that at least one important component of the station will be lost, because the missile will explode or due to a deviation from the trajectory. It is also reasonable to assume that someone will be killed, which is not uncommon at construction sites, even without a foot strike, a dangerous action in itself."
From a statistical analysis done last year in the British magazine New Scientist, it is concluded that there is a 73.6% chance of at least one serious failure during the train of the station. "It will be a miracle if nothing happens," says Pike, "and in the event of a malfunction, the project could get complicated or at least delayed to a great extent."
But if everything goes well, the station will be populated and provide scientific information long before its completion date. According to the plan, Russia will launch a Soyuz space vehicle as early as January 2000. The first commander of the station, Captain Bill Shepherd of the US Navy, will travel in the vehicle, along with the Russian astronauts Yuri Gidzenko and Sergey Kryklav. Their safe arrival will mark the beginning of research and permanent human presence on the space station.
Published in "Haaretz" on 17/11/1998
Yedioth Archion: 97-99 The International Space Station The space station will pass into private hands; By Avi Blizovsky and agencies
The news
The space station will go into private hands
27/9/1999
The International Space Station currently being built in space may in the future pass into private hands. The director general of NASA, Dan Goldin, said last Friday that "we hope to be able to give the keys to the new station to entrepreneurs who will see this as an opportunity." According to Goldin, NASA has no interest in operating the space station, whose construction will be completed in 2004. The station, known as the ISS (International Space Station), is being gradually built in space, and astronauts from the US, Russia and Europe will man its first parts in the coming months. .
Goldin said that if this is done, control of the space station will be transferred in 5 to 10 years. "In an age where NASA's budgets are shrinking, the agency cannot afford to operate activities in orbit around the Earth, and to go beyond its limits and explore the solar system," Goldin said.
Goldin spoke before about 400 engineers, scientists and space entrepreneurs at the annual conference of the Space Frontier Foundation. The foundation is made up of several private groups that are interested in carrying out economic projects in space.
According to Goldin, companies that want to participate in the startup tender will have to prove that they have the knowledge and financial backing suitable for this type of project. Except for the operation of the station, NASA has already decided in the past to allow private ownership of about 30% of it.
The space station is not the first field to be commercialized in space. Launching commercial satellites into space was for years the exclusive domain of the USA. However, in recent years China, Russia and France have become serious competitors. Most of the launches of satellites into space are carried out by government bodies, but semi-private companies such as the French "Arian" and several Russian companies also operate in the field.
A number of private entrepreneurs are currently even considering building a launch site in the heart of the Pacific Ocean, near the equator. In this region, the rotation of the Earth gives greater momentum to missiles and makes it easier to launch. In another initiative, the establishment of a launch facility in South Africa, the Arrow missile developer Dov Raviv is also involved.
In addition, a fleet of private satellites is gradually being developed around the Earth. Until now, it was mainly about communication satellites, which allow live TV broadcasts to be transmitted from any point on the planet. However, in the last year, the launch of 66 satellites of the Iridium company was completed, creating a worldwide cellular communication network. Global-Star is also in the midst of establishing a similar network. Other private companies develop satellites for various purposes, including Microsoft, IT&T and Boeing.
The beneficiaries are subcontractors of NASA
The main beneficiaries of the privatization of the management of the new International Space Station will be manufacturers of aviation products such as Boeing and Lockheed Martin. These companies have so far served as subcontractors of NASA, and have gained a lot of knowledge and experience in building spacecraft. Therefore, they are the most likely to win the tender. Today they are engaged, among other things, in designing models of launch vehicles, which will save the need to discard the fuel tanks during takeoff.
Even smaller companies dealing in the space sector will benefit from such a step, because they will work as subcontractors of the station operators. Among these companies will be, perhaps, the Israeli Aerospace Industry. In the past, Israeli science ministers tried to convince governments to let Israeli companies build subsystems for the International Space Station. It seems that it will be easier to convince private companies of this, such as the Boeing Company, which maintains regular working relations with Israel.
{Appeared in Haaretz newspaper, 27/9/1999}
from the archive
The astronauts are preparing the space station for the arrival of the first occupants
Translated by: Avi Blizovsky
Space Shuttle Discovery has been hard at work during the space shuttle flight that will end this weekend. They went up in space as plumbers, using screws, nuts and other "do-it-yourself" equipment to prepare the International Space Station for the arrival of its first occupants at the beginning of 2000 in the Russian Zarya cabin, which is one of the first two components of the space station that were put together already in December Russian cosmonaut Valery lifted Tokarev, and Canadian astronaut Julie Fayette lifted the floor to replace equipment powered by non-rechargeable batteries.
Astronauts Rick Husband and Daniel Barry replaced two electronic boxes designed for communication systems in the American Unity cabin. The part, which was used for communication between the inspectors in the control center, stopped working in the middle of April. The seven team members installed insulation around some of the fans inside the Zarya chamber to reduce the noise level, which had already reached 72 decibels - like a loud television. Those responsible for the space station hope that the insulators will reduce the noise to around 60 decibels. NASA admits that they had to deal with too many technical failures in the station, even though it has only been floating in space for six months. "In high-tech equipment like the station, you have to expect such things," said the spokesman for the control room overseeing the space station, Milt Haflin. The astronauts in the shuttle also brought about 2 tons of equipment to the station, which includes spare parts, computers, water and clothes for the first permanent residents.
Early Sunday morning, two astronauts completed nearly eight hours of spacewalking to assemble a crane and external components outside for future missions. The two, Tamara Jeringen and Dr. Daniel Barry exceeded the six hours they had planned by two hours. The two worked while dangling from the shuttle. Geringen failed to connect the tubes to her spacesuit in the airlock room. Geringen has a history of trouble with spacewalks. In 1996, they had to cancel a spacewalk in which she was involved, because an external closure in the air lock on the space shuttle Columbia did not open.
Despite the problems, those responsible in the control room said that the operation was crowned with success. Working at an altitude of 386 kilometers above the earth, they mounted the 1.5 meter long arm on the outer wall of the space station. With the help of her muscles, Jeringen freed the other arm that was attached to the wall. The pair of arms will help future astronauts who perform spacewalks to maneuver large components around the body of the station. Geringen and Barry also hung in designated places on the outer wall sets of tools to be used for future missions.
The first occupants will go up to the space station in March 2000. NASA is planning another 42 spacewalks to assemble the space station - which is the largest scientific outpost in the world and whose cost reaches 60 billion dollars. The crew, which includes five Russian Americans and a Canadian woman on the Discovery crew, will detach from the space station on the night between Thursday and Friday and land shortly after.
The Director of the Israel Space Agency, Avi Har-Evan, said that he hopes that the efforts of the Israeli governments to involve Israel in the International Space Station project, if not through astronauts, then at least in the construction of a sub-system that will perform a permanent experiment on the space station. According to him, today few Israeli companies benefit from the budgets of the space station project mainly through the preparation of components in subcontracting to American companies. According to him, Israel can build such a system that will contribute to scientific progress, and that the very construction will advance the companies that will be involved in it. According to him, the government should continue to put pressure on the Americans in this area.
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