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The Space Station Freedom (SSF) configuration evolved during the past decade in response to changing requirements and resources. Early space station studies determined that an on-orbit U.S. Laboratory (Lab) module was required to accomplish mission goals. A Habitation (Hab) module was needed to support the objective of a permanently manned presence on the station. Operational requirements were met by providing resource nodes, pressurized logistics (Log) elements, and airlocks. These five elements are the basic pressurized building blocks used to construct SSF. As the SSF design matured, requirement changes were made to accommodate such considerations as launch capability, extravehicular activity (EVA) assembly time, intravehicular activity (IVA) outfitting and checkout, and other program resource constraints. These considerations resulted in design changes that were incorporated into a restructured design that will be finalized and become the SSF baseline by mid-1991.

A baseline design has been selected for the Space Station Habitat (HAB) element. The HAB provides the primary living space to support man's permanent presence in space. The HAB element is designed to provide an environment that maximizes safety and human productivity. This paper outlines some of the current design features including the common core elements and the man-systems hardware. The HAB is arranged in three areas based on crew activity and acoustical considerations. The first area is the quiet zone, which contains the crew quarters. The second area is a buffer zone for noise suppression, where the stowage, medical facilities, and personal hygiene facilities are located. The third area is the active zone which contains the galley/wardroom, laundry and exercise facilities. Each of these three areas will be discussed together with the applicable requirements, the common utility elements, and the man-systems hardware furnishings.

The primary subsystems on Space Station Freedom are referred to as distributed systems. These systems include structures and mechanisms, electrical power, data management, internal audio/video, thermal control, man-systems, and the environmental control and life support systems. This paper describes the architectural layout of Work Package One {WP01) distributed systems within the Habitation and U.S. Laboratory modules and provides a brief description of each of these systems. Emphasis is placed on the environmental control and life support systems and the test plan to qualify these systems for flight.

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.