Cupola update

Chris Bennetts wrote in message ...
John Doe wrote:

Also, wasn't node 2 the one that Europe built in exchange for Shuttle
luanching Colombus ?

I was under the impression that both Nodes 2 *and* 3 were part of that
deal. Since ESA still want a launch for Columbus, you can bet that
they're pushing ahead with Node 3 to pay for it.

--Chris

Here are a couple of news articles that seem to confirm that a recent
decision
was made to go ahead with Node 3. But like most things with the ISS,
everything
can change tomorrow.

-Space Daily

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0915104718.htm

2004-09-15

"Maurizio Tucci, CEO of Alenia Spazio, expressed his satisfaction
about the number of modules built by Alenia Spazio and explained that
with the assembly of the Node 3 module just getting underway they will
soon be able to complete the series."


-Huntsville Times

http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletim...1399177610.xml

October 04, 2004

"I think one of the things that actually drove moving the (life
support) hardware was because there was some question whether or not
Node 3 would come together," Croomes said. "Even though it has been
started, there were some political and financial problems in Europe
that needed to be addressed and that created some difficulties with
the arrangements. There was a period of time there that it was
wondered if (Node-3) would actually come through."

Earlier in the summer the details were nailed down and Italy confirmed
work on Node-3, Croomes said. NASA decided to press on with moving the
advanced life support system to the Destiny lab "to go ahead and test
it out on orbit ... that way we can work the bugs out of it and know
the system better when we need it to support a six or seven person
crew," Croomes said."

"This decision takes the pressure off of relying on the delivery of
Node-3 and now we don't have to wait on it to expand the crew,
either."


-Rusty Barton

Rusty Barton wrote:
Here is a planning chart from September 2004 that shows Node 3
being launched on STS-130 in 2008.

http://images.spaceref.com/news/2004/09.10.04.FAWG.pdf

That's some ambitious flight rates....

D.
--
Touch-twice life. Eat. Drink. Laugh.

-Resolved: To be more temperate in my postings.
Oct 5th, 2004 JDL

John Doe wrote:
None of this stuff confirms that the USA government has given budgets and
green light for NASA to contract for the contruction of Node 3.

Unsurprising since NASA isn't building Node 3.

Until NASA starts to talk about moving Node 3 to KSC for integration tests, I
won't really bet much money. Remember that they had already begun to build one
hab when it was cut. They had begun to test Transhab when it was cut.

Node 3 has been at KSC for over a year now.
http://www.rednova.com/news/stories/.../story004.html

D.
--
Touch-twice life. Eat. Drink. Laugh.

-Resolved: To be more temperate in my postings.
Oct 5th, 2004 JDL

That is Node 2 at KSC.
Node 3 is to be built by ESA as provided in the NASA/ESA MOU Para 6.3.2. at
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/ogc/iss/02mou.html . the MOU also contains other
stuff that my be of interest. There is another MOU for the Cupola.

"Derek Lyons" wrote in message
...
John Doe wrote:
None of this stuff confirms that the USA government has given budgets and
green light for NASA to contract for the contruction of Node 3.

Unsurprising since NASA isn't building Node 3.

Until NASA starts to talk about moving Node 3 to KSC for integration
tests, I
won't really bet much money. Remember that they had already begun to build
one
hab when it was cut. They had begun to test Transhab when it was cut.

Node 3 has been at KSC for over a year now.
http://www.rednova.com/news/stories/.../story004.html

D.
--
Touch-twice life. Eat. Drink. Laugh.

-Resolved: To be more temperate in my postings.
Oct 5th, 2004 JDL

The ECLSS racks finish testing in March 05. They may go onto the Lab until
N3 is launched.


"John Doe" wrote in message ...
Chris Bennetts wrote:
I was under the impression that both Nodes 2 *and* 3 were part of that
deal. Since ESA still want a launch for Columbus, you can bet that
they're pushing ahead with Node 3 to pay for it.

Well, building 2 whole modules seems to be quite a price to pay in
exchange
for one launch.

Also, with the newly redeseigned station (hab integrated in Node 3), won't
the
specs for node3 have changed rather significantly ?

And while ESA may build the basic node structures, is it correct to assume
that the racks will be supplied by the USA ? (ECLSS, toilet, data/comms,
and
the roomettes) ? What is the status of those systems ? Are they funded ?
is
there work going on ?

Derek Lyons wrote:
Node 3 has been at KSC for over a year now.
http://www.rednova.com/news/stories/.../story004.html

That article talks about Node *2*. (two). There is just a passing mention of
Node 3 still under construction in europe.

However, there is no mention of the systems that will go into Node 3 which
would be provided by NASA contractors.

Randall Vogtman wrote:

The ECLSS racks finish testing in March 05. They may go onto the Lab until
N3 is launched.

Which ECLSS systems are essentially ready ?
Electrolitic O2 generation ? (US equivalent of Elektron) ?
Water purification systems ? ( I think there are a couple) ?
How about a Sabatier system ?

Of the systems already in Destiny, will their copies on Node 3 be identical,
or have they added modifications to make those more reliable ? (in particular CDRA)


What about the toilet ? How much of the shuttle toilet can they use on the
station ? (since you don't want to constantly be venting stuff out).

http://images.spaceref.com/news/2004/09.10.04.FAWG.pdf

That's some ambitious flight rates....

By calendar year:

2005: 4 flights
2006: 5 flights
2007: 5 flights
2008: 5 flights
2009: 5 flights

Of course, that document predates the announcement that return to
flight won't happen in March 2005.