Furthering Exploration-International Space Station Experience

摘要

The operation of the International Space Station was dependent at its outset very directly on the knowledge that was gained during operation of the earlier Russian and U.S. space systems. The ISS, as we operate it in space today, is an evolution of space systems technologies that were developed by many countries with widely differing design philosophies. The significance of the Columbia accident and its impact on continuing operations during the shuttle hiatus has been critical. Many of the operations, processes, functions, and systems in use on the ISS today provide the capabilities that will be needed for future Exploration missions. Many of the hardware and software systems developed for ISS may be adapted for direct use on future systems. We are learning what is required to build and sustain a large space infrastructure over multiple generations. We have the test bed in place today to learn what does and does not work. Perhaps the most significant new operations knowledge gained from the ISS program to date includes: 1) New respect for the ability of the flight crew to independently perform system operations, maintenance, research, and mission planning, when provided with the appropriate training and tools to ensure greater crew autonomy.2) The importance of the integral relationship between habitability, logistics, and crew physical and psychological support for long-duration missions.3) The importance of designing equipment for longer lifetimes, with the capability to perform maintenance in space, and with an understanding of the certification criteria for continued use.4) The complexity of the multinational and multi-organizational program management and operations, and the benefits as well as drawbacks these introduce.5) Perhaps most significantly, the ISS program has educated a new generation of engineers and managers, providing first-hand experience in the design, development, integration, and operation of advanced human-operated spacecraft.These valuable lessons should be factored into the exploration program from the beginning, so that they do not have to be relearned by the next generation of engineers and scientists who will take humans back to the moon and on to Mars.