Composites, computers, & sensors boost the space station

摘要

After well over a decade of thinking and rethinking, design and redesign, one of the largest construction projects on—or off—Earth is about to "break ground." The first elements of what is now called the International Space Station (ISS) have been delivered to the Kennedy Space Center for placement in orbit next year. But, as the average home owner knows when hiring contractors for even a small job, someone usually has a problem in meeting the schedule (see sidebar).