The United States of America As Represented by the Administrator of the

Reginald B Berka

Clarence J Wesselski

Kornel Nagy

John A Schliesing

Paul D Smith

William C Schneider

Horacio M De La Fuente

Timothy E Pelischek

Steven L Rickman

Edgar O Castro

Donald C Wade

Richard C Parish

Herbert C Kavanaugh

Frederick J Stebbins

Methods and apparatus are provided for a single heavy-lift launch to place a complete, operational space station on-orbit. A payload including the space station takes the place of a Shuttle Orbiter using the launch vehicle of the Shuttle Orbiter. The payload includes a forward shroud, a core module, a propulsion module, and a transition module between the core module and the propulsion module. The essential subsystems are pre-integrated and verified on Earth. The core module provides means for attaching international modules with minimum impact to the overall design. The space station includes six control moment gyros for selectably operating in either LVLH (local-vertical local-horizontal) or SI (solar inertial) flight modes.

Heavy-lift vehicle-launched space station method and apparatus

A triangular space station deployable in orbit. The framework is comprised of three trusses, formed of a pair of generally planar faces comprised of foldable struts which expand and lock into rigid structural engagement forming a repetition of equilateral triangles and non-folding diagonal struts interconnecting the two faces. The struts are joined together by node fittings. The framework can be packaged into a size and configuration which can be transported by a space shuttle orbiter in a single orbital flight and when deployed, provides large work/construction area and ample planar surface area for solar panels and thermal radiators. A plurality of modules are secured to the framework and then joined by tunnels to comprise an interconnected modular array disposed along the free edges of the framework. Thruster units for space station orientation and altitude maintenance are provided. The triangular space station provides a structurally stable unit having sufficiently high structural integrity and natural frequency for facilitating docking, satellite servicing and launch operations.

Shuttle-launch triangular space station

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Houston, TX, United States of America

Reginald B Berka