Concepts for Crew Experiment Interaction-Future Space Flights: Workstation Design and Requirements

Current space lab and space shuttle workstatiins are inadeqauate for the next generation of space experimentation. The capability of the current expermient computers is severely limited, the maximum sample rate that can be acquired and processed for on board display is 10 samples per second, and the dispays have a maximum of 750 words: of storage associated with them. Second, the ability to modify experiment operations real time as non-existent unless it was programmed in approximately 18 months before glight. The appearance of new generations of computers will alleviate these problems but acceptance by the space engineering community is still limited. This paper will discuss the concepts and requirements for future workstations and capabilities that should be inherent in the next generation of space craft.