aap/sl_v_bw_o_n (original 1967 press photo)
“With a minor investment, but exercising a bit of ingenuity, the United States may have a large space station orbiting the earth before the end of 1968. A decision to build on a capability NASA presently possesses may provide a cylindrical container with a capacity of about 12,000 cubic feet for use as a laboratory to pursue significant space experiments for a minimum of 30 days.
Success in this venture may pave the way for the establishment of a permanent space station with a crew always in attendance.
The breakthrough in the development of the space station came with the realization that, with the launching of the giant two-stage Saturn I. booster, the second (or S-IVB stage) will provide an empty cylindrical fuel tank 58 feet long and 21 feet in diameter when it is in orbit. This cylinder is divided into two compartments for the hydrogen fuel and oxygen oxidizer.
It is the 29-foot-long hydrogen tank which will be pressurized, to create the space station. It will serve as a laboratory with a shirt-sleeve environment for both astronauts and scientists.
At present, plans call for a launch of the Saturn I. rocket system before the end of 1968. This will provide the initial velocity to the S-IVB stage, together with the Apollo command service module. When the S-IVB stage has completed firing, it will have achieved an elliptical orbit with a perigee, or low point, of 93 miles and an apogee, or high point, of about 200 miles. Once in orbit, the astronauts will disconnect the Apollo spacecraft and turn it around to link up with the S-IVB stage. When the service module engine fires, it will circularize the S-IVB orbit at about 200 miles. At this altitude, the spacecraft will be in no danger of re-entry for the required 30-day mission.
While it appears that very little additional work must be performed, in reality a…”
Yet ANOTHER work by the prolific John Gorsuch.
aap/sl_v_bw_o_n (original 1967 press photo)
“With a minor investment, but exercising a bit of ingenuity, the United States may have a large space station orbiting the earth before the end of 1968. A decision to build on a capability NASA presently possesses may provide a cylindrical container with a capacity of about 12,000 cubic feet for use as a laboratory to pursue significant space experiments for a minimum of 30 days.
Success in this venture may pave the way for the establishment of a permanent space station with a crew always in attendance.
The breakthrough in the development of the space station came with the realization that, with the launching of the giant two-stage Saturn I. booster, the second (or S-IVB stage) will provide an empty cylindrical fuel tank 58 feet long and 21 feet in diameter when it is in orbit. This cylinder is divided into two compartments for the hydrogen fuel and oxygen oxidizer.
It is the 29-foot-long hydrogen tank which will be pressurized, to create the space station. It will serve as a laboratory with a shirt-sleeve environment for both astronauts and scientists.
At present, plans call for a launch of the Saturn I. rocket system before the end of 1968. This will provide the initial velocity to the S-IVB stage, together with the Apollo command service module. When the S-IVB stage has completed firing, it will have achieved an elliptical orbit with a perigee, or low point, of 93 miles and an apogee, or high point, of about 200 miles. Once in orbit, the astronauts will disconnect the Apollo spacecraft and turn it around to link up with the S-IVB stage. When the service module engine fires, it will circularize the S-IVB orbit at about 200 miles. At this altitude, the spacecraft will be in no danger of re-entry for the required 30-day mission.
While it appears that very little additional work must be performed, in reality a…”
Yet ANOTHER work by the prolific John Gorsuch.