1. Sa1yute

a. Scientific Research

b. Space Vacations

In the past thirty years a new frontier of space exploration and microgravity experimentation has been opened by one definitive innovation: the space station. Space stations give astronauts the chance to take extended periods of time in space to experiment, study, and research almost every aspect of science. Space stations have made it possible to make space missions longer in duration which cuts the number of missions and in turn cuts the cost of space missions and research. This is so because using space stations instead of shuttles, such as the American Space Shuttle, means you only have to send up components once instead of every time you go to space (Oberg, 2000 "International Space Station"), This fact is critical when traveling in space "you could fly a loaf of bread to the moon and turn it into gold, and you would still lose money on it  Sincell, 2000)." I can't make the connection.

The definition of a space station is a s~ture that orbits the earth and can support life for extended periods of time (OberifOoo, "Space Exploration"). Both the

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United States and Soviet Union have built these, and just recently more countries have contributed to building the International Space Station. All of the space stations have had and will have distinct features, but all must have certain things to be considered a space station. These things are the basics of human life. I think the best way to describe a space station is by going on a road trip and having a camper full of everything you could possibly need for over a month of life with no stops on the way. Good Comparison

All space stations are made up of modules or module sections dedicated to experimentation, sleeping, food preparation, exercise, and sanitation. Experimentation modules are made up mostly of the instruments used for observation. This includes telescopes, microscopes, beakers, graduated cylinders, and almost any other miscellaneous equipment used for experimentation. Some missions have even included live animals such as fish and mice for observations in animal behavior. These modules are usually covered in every available space with storage compartments. Sleeping quarters are usually simple hooks used to secure special sleeping bags either stacked like bunk beds or vertical in what looks like a standing position. However, with no gravity direction dose not matter. Food preparation on a space station is rather simple. All components of the astronauts diet need only to be heated, hydrated (add water), or eaten as is. This part of the station is usually a small section of a module taken up mostly by

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food storage compartments. Astronauts use treadmills while attached to elastic cords and other elastic cords for pulling to get the resistance needed for exercise. Room for this equipment is usually made in a comer out of the way of other modules. Sanitation composes of what would be in a small bathroom; a sink, a shower, and a toilet. All these appliances use vacuum suction for collecting water used in the sink and shower, and to collect the waste from the toilet instead of drains that use gravity. In addition to these parts of the station there is usually an open space used for eating and (though astronauts have little )free time.

The history of the space station is short but anything but uneventful. In the early 1970's the United States and the Soviet Union were both on their way in the Space Race. The United States had beaten the Soviets to the Moon, and also launched the first space station in 1973. The Soviets, however, have constructed the longest ever surviving space station, Mir. This station had survived through many major problems for almost fifteen years. This is the mark that has been set for future space stations, and must be overcome if space stations will become as common as skyscrapers.

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characteristic of other space stations as well as itself; big problems. In the first 63 seconds after launch the micro meteorite shield and one of the two solar panels was tom from the station by the exhaust of the booster engines when the solar panel was accidentally deployed. To make matters worse, when the space station reached its ideal orbit (about 270 miles above earth) the second solar panel was tangled in debris from the first. This crippled the space stations power output and almost destroyed the first ever space station's chance of being more than a big lump of space junk. However, the first crew was able to fix these unfortunate problems.

Despite the near tragedy of Sky lab her first crew performed above expectations, especially when crunched for time and performing complex repair missions. The crew also out of necessity had shattered the record of the most EVA (extra-vehicular activity) by performing more than all space missions combined up to that time (Kennedy Space Center, n.d.). Since the first mission goal of Skylab was to prove that humans could live and work for extended periods of time in space, I think this question was answered with a resounding "yes." The follow-up missions to Skylab, Skylab two and three, were also successes in the area of scientific research. Almost all data collected by the Skylab crews was breakthrough in the areas of biology and space research. The Soviet space stations started from the humble Salyute program. The Salyute space stations were just slightly larger than the Soyez space modules used by the Soviet space program. Salyute, launched

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In 1977, was a great success for the Soviet space program until the cosmonauts from the mission, returning in their Soyez two module, sprung a leak in the cabin during reentry . The air leaked out, and the four cosmonauts suffocated. This incident through threw Soviet space program into turmoil. Despite this tragedy, the Salyute program pressed on. By the sixth Salyute mission the station had been redesigned to accommodate two docking ports instead of the customary one. With this innovation, the Salyute space stations could be resupplied. This ingenious change produced space stations which could be used for more than one mission and produced the first supply module, the modified Soyez module named Progress. As you can imagine, Salyute six and seven both outlived their ancestors considerably.

In 1982 the successful Salyute program ended and a new and much larger space station named Mir. Mir's! module was launched in 1986, the name of which means "peace." (Oberg, 2000, "Mir"). In 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed which sent the whole country into turmoil. Instead of scrapping the Mir project, the newly formed government vied to extend the life of the space station rather than build a new one. The early years of Mir were productive and encouraged worldly cooperation in space. Many American astronauts visited the station and cooperated on numerous projects. As Mir aged, equipment failure and human error threatened the station, especially in 1997 when the Progress resupply ship smashed into the Spektr remote sensing payload, putting a hole

in the side of the module making it unusable. Incidences such as this prompted the Russian government to de-orbit the aging station in 2001. On March 22 of this year the remains of the Mir space station crashed into a remote part of the Pacific Ocean east of the Netherlands.

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Presently the first space station of the next era of space stations is the International Space Station. This station will be the first to be built by more than one country. The first module, the United States module Unity In all, the station's construction will be contributed to by fifteen countries. Most of the eight modules will be built by the United States and Russia, while Canada has been given the right to designing and building the self-contained and revolutionary robotic arm. Other pieces of the station will be constructed by Japan and the eleven member countries of the ESA (European Space Agency) which includes Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Among these pieces are the huge solar panels. These will be mounted on a metal framework which is 360 feet long and also supports a track for transporting the robotic arm (Oberg, '100(;, International Space Station). The ESA and Japan will also design supply vehicles for the station.

The near future for space stations will be a great time of adventure and discovery in space. NASA space stations will be used as platforms to launch Moon and Mars space missions in the future. Even as early as 2009 space stations have been scheduled to be

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built by pharmaceutical companies, scientific researchers, and even hotel chains. The future of space stations is promising and they will probably turn out to be successful and lucrative business and scientific endeavors.

One application that will probably take off first is the use of space stations for scientific research for specific companies. Viratech, a biotechnology company, manufactures interferon, a drug prescribed to many hepatitis and cancer patients. To make it, white blood cells and a virus are swirled together to by propellers in a bioreactor (Sincell 2000). On earth, gravity drags many of these white blood cells into the propellers and kills them. However, in the microgravity of space the white blood cells stay relatively stationary. In recent experiments, white blood cells inmicrogravity have the potential to produ two 30 times as much interferon (Sincell 2000). In the billion-dollar interferon industry, space station mounted factories would give them the conditions needed to lower product price, raise profits, and expand their hold on the industry. At this time, this would be more profitable than printing money.

How would you feel if you were given a chance to go into space? In as little as five years a "space hotel" may be orbiting the earth at about 100 miles up. You would see the earth in a way that you have never seen it before. You would also be able to experience low gravity and do things (like kick a ball 400 yards or slam dunk a basketball with about six feet of rim clearance) that would be impossible on earth. Sounds like fun,

doesn't it? Too bad most regular people we able to afford it for a while since the price tag for a family of four would be around 200,000 dollars for a week's vacation.

The most lucrative space station oriented business is a while off, but will spark the second Industrial Revolution: the asteroid mine. An asteroid is like the jewelry box of our Solar System. Asteroid mining would be controlled by Martian space stations and gargantuan cargo ships. Their concentrations of precious metals and elements (and possibly gemstones) are so high and their makeup so ancient that a piece the size of a golf ball is an invaluable research tool and priced in the 500,000 dollar range. The money to be made in this business has prompted companies to even think of this possibility in the present.

In all, the space station is in its infancy. As the idea matures, the structure and function will change, but the basic structure will stay the same. I think everyone on the planet should be fascinated with this time in history. We are at the epitome of a new age of space travel and exploration. As human beings we have longed to see what is beyond earth since we first gazed upward and wondered. The space station is just the manifestation of this ideal. The stars have always been there, all we need do is take the first step.

Good conclusion

Works Cited

Cray, Dan. "The 100 Mile Club". Popular Scie!,!ce. November 2000. pp. 66-68, 70. Discovery.com: International Space Station. N.D.

http://www.dicovery.com/stories/science/iss.html (November 13, 2001).

Dyson, Marianne J. N.D. "Building on what we know: the history of space stations". http://www.geocities.com/mariannedyson/stationhistory .html (13 November, 2001).

Kennedy Space Center: Skylab. N.D. http://www.paoksc.gov/kscpao/history/skylab/skylab.html (13 November, 2001).

Leonard, Kathryn. "The Buzz on Buzz". Popular Science. November 2000. pp. 69.

Oberg, James. "International Space Station". World Book volume 10 pp. 346a-347 USA: World Book Inc. 2000.

Oberg, James. "Mir", World Book volume 13 pp. 613-614 USA: World Book Inc. 2000.

Oberg, James. "space exploration". World Book volume 18 pp. 721-722 USA: World Book Inc. 2000.

Russian Space Agency. N.D. http;//www.liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/rsa/mir/html (14 November, 2001).

Sincell, Mark. "Open for Business". Popular Science. NovemberJ2000 pp. 60-64. Time-Life Books. Space. pp. 59-66. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books 1993.