Tailoring the space station for mission operations

The evolution of space station concepts is briefly discussed, taking into account Tsiolkovskii's work, von Braun's wheel-shaped space station, and NASA's Manned Orbiting Research Laboratory. Operations are discussed as a design driver. It is pointed out that Skylab, Space Shuttle, and Spacelab have demonstrated the operational utility of people in space. A description of space station mission operations is presented. It is found that science and applications missions for a space station can be divided into observational and experimental missions. Service operations are operations in which the space station does not conduct end-use missions, but instead provides services to those missions. In April of 1984, the Solar Max spacecraft was restored to full scientific operation after drifting in orbit without precision attitude control. A permanent space station provides the capability to carry out such servicing and repair missions when needed in a routine manner.