ISS Habitation Module Interior Configuration 2001-01-2226

During 2000, the International Space Station (ISS) Program advanced toward procuring a Habitation (HAB) Module for the ISS. The HAB Module proposed in 2000 was based on reuse of the ISS Program’s Boeing Aerospace Corporation structural test article for ISS pressurized modules, outfitted per standard United States On-orbit Segment rack-based architecture. Specifications were negotiated throughout the year and two Specification Readiness Reviews (SRR’s) were conducted. In the SRR’s, a set of habitability functions was clearly defined, along with identification of hardware subsystems required to fulfill these functional needs. Remaining, however, was identification of a holistic set of ordering principles around which the interior of the HAB Module would be organized.

Integration of the interior layout of the HAB Module was addressed as an architectural problem and principles of terrestrial architectural organization brought to bear. There were, however, two realities that led to some surprising results in the interior layout: 1) pre-existing topological features in the test article’s primary and secondary structure proved too costly to alter, and 2) user concerns unique to long-duration spaceflight environments were required considerations. The resulting product is perceived by participants in the 2000 HAB topology reviews as the best-fit solution of preconditions and challenging constraints to the creation of a space environment unique in the history of spaceflight--a vessel dedicated to providing a non-work living environment to a long-duration spaceflight crew.