Maintenance Components for Space Station Long Life Fluid Systems

The Space Station elements or modules will maintain thermal conditioning by way of fluid systems. Because of the station’s 20 year minimum orbital lifetime, these fluid system designs must allow for on-orbit maintenance.

This paper describes the maintenance assessment of the various Space Station thermal control system options, their components and the recommended maintenance approach for each. The design and utilization of the primary fluid isolation servicing method, the Maintainable Maintenance Disconnect Valve (MMDV) and the effects of selecting different levels for the orbital replacement unit (ORU) are also presented.