From NASANews@luna.osf.hq.nasa.govThu Feb 1 07:44:59 1996 Date: Tue, 30 Jan 1996 12:36:18 -0500 From: NASA HQ Public Affairs Office To: press-release-com@mercury.hq.nasa.gov Subject: Exterior of U.S. Space Station Modules Completed\; Flight Hardware on Track for Launch in 1997 Ray Castillo Headquarters, Washington, DC January 30, 1996 (Phone: 202/358-4555) Doug Ward Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX (Phone: 713/244-7926) RELEASE: 96-17 EXTERIOR OF U.S. SPACE STATION MODULES COMPLETED; FLIGHT HARDWARE ON TRACK FOR LAUNCH IN 1997 With a final weld on the module that will house astronauts aboard the international Space Station, over 80,000 pounds of flight hardware have been manufactured and the exterior structures of the U.S. components are now complete. "Our manufacturing is proceeding on schedule," said Wil Trafton, acting Associate Administrator for Space Flight. "This is what two years of stable funding and hard work will get you. Node 1 will be launched in December 1997 and we are right on track with our other modules. We'll be ready for the first U.S. launch." McDonnell Douglas technicians are installing secondary structural subassemblies in both Node 1 and Node 2. This equipment includes braces that will hold floors, equipment racks and parts of various station utility systems, life support, power, communication and other elements. Boeing completed machining on Nodes 1 and 2 last year. The nodes also have all of their hatches and common berthing mechanisms in place. Node 2 (which serves as both the structural test article and a flight article) is almost ready to begin pressure and leak testing. To that end, technicians have attached approximately 900 strain gauges to measure stresses during a series of tests which begin later this month. It will be painted after these tests are complete. Node 2 is scheduled to be launched to the Space Station in September 1999. Node 1, which will be the first U.S.-manufactured Space Station module to fly, also has been welded and machined. It will be painted in April and will undergo pressure tests after Node 2. In June, Node 1 will begin the process of final assembly and checkout. It will be launched from Kennedy Space Center in November 1997. The U.S. lab module currently is being machined in a device called a horizontal boring mill. Technicians will begin installing mechanical systems in early February. The lab then will undergo its own pressure tests and be painted. The laboratory module will come back to a clean room for checkout before being shipped to Kennedy Space Center for its scheduled November 1998 launch. The U.S. habitat module, where the astronauts will eat and sleep, will follow the lab module into the horizontal boring mill for machining, then undergo mechanical installation in May and begin pressure tests in July. The habitat module is among the last pieces to be launched to the International Space Station in 2002. The laboratory and habitat modules each are 28 feet long and 14 feet in diameter. The two connecting node modules are the same diameter, but 10 feet shorter. Boeing also is building an airlock module for the Space Station. Astronauts will suit up in the airlock before venturing out during spacewalks. Welding on the airlock has begun and will be completed in June. Once the airlock is built, it will mark the completion of welding of every major structural component being built by Boeing in Huntsville. NASA's international partners also are making progress on their hardware. The critical Russian-built Functional Cargo Block (FGB) is on schedule for launch on a Proton vehicle in November 1997. In December, 1995, the FGB experienced a pressure test failure. Khrunichev, the Russian subcontractor building the FGB, had seen this anomaly in prior modules similar to the FGB. Recently, Khrunichev completed repairs and carried out the pressure test successfully. The FGB is back on schedule. -end- EDITOR'S NOTE: Images to illustrate this release are available for news media representatives by calling the Headquarters Broadcast and Imaging Branch on 202/358-1900. Photo numbers are: Caption description Color B&W Habitation Module 96-HC-36 96-H-36 Laboratory Module 96-HC-37 96-H-37 Node Modules 96-HC-38 96-H-38 NASA press releases and other information are available automatically by sending an Internet electronic mail message to domo@hq.nasa.gov. In the body of the message (not the subject line) users should type the words "subscribe press-release" (no quotes). The system will reply with a confirmation via E-mail of each subscription. A second automatic message will include additional information on the service. Questions should be directed to (202) 358-4043.