LIFE ONBOARD SPACE STATION FREEDOM
Notes:
The US laboratory module, 1987. A Space Station Intergovernmental Agreement was finally signed in September 1988 allocated 97% of the US lab resources to NASA while the Canadian Space Agency would receive 3% in return for its contribution to the program. Europe and Japan would retain 51% of their own laboratory modules. The United States and Canada would receive 46% and 3%, respectively.
Off duty astronauts relaxing inside the US habitation module. The table can be folded away to save space. Six Americans and two international astronauts would be permanently based on Space Station Freedom. Each crewmember would serve 90 days according to the original 1987 plan. However, NASA soon increased the tour of duty to 120 days in order to reduce the number of Shuttle flights from eight to 5-6 to reduce the transportation requirement. Many observers were concerned about the Shuttle's reduced capability and questionable safety after the 1986 Challenger accident, and NASA was requested to examine unmanned heavy-lift rockets and alternative manned backup spacecraft in case the Shuttle would have to be grounded again.
Shuttle dockings, EVA astronauts “spacewalks” and other activities outside the Station would have been supervised from workstations inside an observation cupola.
Simulation of a Space Shuttle docking viewed from the Station's cupola.
