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As the missions of the Space Station expand in the servicing and maintenance areas, the potential for long duration and repetitive EVA increases. This increased EVA potential motivates consideration of advanced EVA enclosure concepts. This paper discusses a concept for an EVA enclosure which combines features of the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) and the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) and incorporates aspects of robotic technology. The pros and cons of using such a unit as well as design and development considerations are discussed.

Life sciences research in the Space Station era will provide an enhanced opportunity for studying gravitational biology. This will be made possible by extending the duration of research from a few days on the current space transportation system (STS) Spacelab to almost unlimited duration in a Space Station laboratory setting. Plants and animals will be used extensively in studying gravitational phenomena. In many instances animal models will be used to study human responses to prolonged space flight where invasive techniques are required. New hardware developments will be necessary to accommodate plant and animal species in a long-duration facility. This is especially true for the plant and animal confinement systems, centrifuge (artificial gravity) systems, and cleaning and washing facilities for cages and enclosures. This paper discusses these technology development items and the critical issues that need to be solved.

A summary of the Space Operations Center (SOC) crew skill and scheduling analysis is presented in this paper. The analysis was conducted by Boeing Aerospace Company on contract to NASA-Johnson Space Center. Brief descriptions of the SOC design, projected missions, and mission modeling are presented. The analytical approach is outlined as well as the resulting crew skill allocations and projected crew sizes through the year 2000.