Long Duration Space Missions Through Use of In-Flight Maintenance

THE PAPER WILL present the background of Apollo Applications Program objectives, moving from 28 day missions to 56 days, to 120 days, etc., up to one year. It will discuss the concept of revisitation and reuse of hardware left in orbit and the recognition of the need for in-flight maintenance for enhancing probability of mission success. The design of the airlock module and multiple docking adapter which is aimed towards ease of module replacement, will be presented.

The orbital workshop, planned for a late 1968/early 1969 launch, has a programmed set of experiments in the maintenance area, which will try to provide a baseline of astronaut capability in the maintenance area. These experiments will be discussed in detail.