From: fcrary@ucsu.Colorado.EDU (Frank Crary)
Subject: Re: what use is Freedom?
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1992 16:22:43 GMT

In article <Cohena-021092084536@l30346.mdc.com> Cohena@mdc.com (Andy Cohen) writes:
>However, lets look at the habitable sapce....A complete SSF will have four
>modules. The US lab and hab modules, the ESA module and the NASDA module. 
>SSF will also have at least two resource nodes between the modules which
>will contain the primary workstation, the cupola and it's workstation AND
>the centrifuge among other things.  The complete SSF will also have a
>Hyperbaric Airlock almost as big as the resource nodes, a pressurized
>docking tunnel, and a the resource module.  Take these spaces into account
>before you compare with Skylab..

Even taking into account all these modules, nodes, etc... Freedom still
has much less pressurized volume than Skylab. The real queation is
that of _usefull_ volume: Every cubic meter of Freedom will (would) be
used for a tangable purpose. Much of the space in Skylab was waste space
(well, perhaps not waste, but it served only to give the crew extra
elbow room...)

>I've been in both the Skylab mockup at JSC as well as Skylab II at the
>Smithsonean in DC...

I've also seen the copy at the Smithsonian as well as the Freedom mockup
in Huntington Beach. It's very difficult to realize, in gravity, how
much space there was in Skylab: It looks and feels like a fairly small
space, with a _very_ high ceiling. This isn't a problem with Freedom,
because of its shape.

>Yeah...Skylab
>was huge.... especially when you compare it to....Mir.

Actually, Mir (once it is fully expanded) will be roughly the same
size as Freedom, with five full-sized modules (about the size of the
Japanese and European Freedom modules, and larger than the now-scaled-down
American modules) and one half-sized module, slightly larger than the
Freedom nodes.

> Standing
>(instead of floating unfortunately) in the full scale mockup of resource
>node 2 with the cupola provides a very large area which is very similar to
>the area in skylab where the crew exercise equipment was..... 

"Large"? The cupola mock up I saw was around 1.5 to 2m across. Admittedly, this
is enough room to put in a treadmill and jog with a _increadble_ view, but
its hardly a "large area."

>With all the
>hatches open, within the US areas alone, the crew will be able to have
>great frisbee games or races....

The modules are _long_ enough, but not wide enough: The clear "hall" in
each module is under 2 meters wide.

>More importantly, as I alluded to in my prior post, a complete SSF provides
>a HUGE structure.  This structure is almost 300 feet long.....Thats a
>football field..... It also has power panels and radiators which stick
>out....  All this structure is essential to provide living spaces, power
>and all the other services needed for direct human activities in Earth
>orbit..... 

I'm sorry, but this is totally incorrect: These structures are _not_
necessary. They are necessary if you want an easily expanded station,
or if you want to get the highest possible effeciency out of the solar
panels. But if you simply want to power the living spaces and experiments,
and radiate away the watse heat, you do _not_ need all that structure.


>I welcome ANYBODY to come to our facility in Huntington Beach, CA to see
>our full scale mockups.  We have a complete mockup of half the truss.

Very creatively set up next to a mirror, I might add, so it _looks_ like
the full truss.

>takes up the whole building.  We also have the basic "Race Track" mockup of
>the modules and nodes........

Have they cut down the American modules yet? When I was there, they had
built full sized mockups, then had NASA revise the desing and cut these
modules down to 2/3s size. The mockups has a tape line inside, to mark
the revised length... Also, are there mockups of the European and 
Japanese modules? These were also "future projects" when I visited.

(By the way, I found the nodes to be _very_ impressive. Even if Freedom
is never built, given their modular nature it would be worth while to
incorporate the nodes into future station designs.)


                                                 Frank Crary
                                                 CU Boulder
Newsgroups: sci.space