Space Transportation Node: The Atrium Facility

by Kriss J. Kennedy, NASA/Johnson Space Cent, United States,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Engineering, Construction, and Operations in Space II

Abstract:

During the next thirty years the infrastructure of space transportation is expected to expand to a system of advanced vehicles. A transportation node is an important link, as a vehicle assembly platform, between Earth and our planetary neighbors. This paper presents a conceptual design of a Space Transportation Node used primarily as an assembly platform supporting the lunar transportation system. Transportation nodes are traditionally an extension of Space Station Freedom, which is a logical progression. However, this concept was initiated to study node architecture, not as a growth of Space Station Freedom but rather as an uninhibited concept synthesizing form and function. This transportation node concept, The Artrium Facility, is designed to support lunar base activities before, during and after the lunar base build-up phase. It has a central assembly area surrounded by hangars and workstation platforms. This facility can support six permanent crewmembers, a four to six transient lunar crew and the shuttle crew.

Subject Headings: Space colonies | Aerospace engineering | Moon | Space stations | Space exploration | Vehicles | Space structures

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