Space Station Habitat and Laboratory Module Rack Flight Testing in the Spacehab Module

The Spacehab Module is a pressurized volume scheduled to be launched by the Space Shuttle and providing an opportunity for the flight testing of Space Station hardware prior to deployment of the hardware to the IOC Space Station. The module will be available in 1990 and can provide a variety of support systems designed to reduce the technical development risk to Space Station participants. The module is currently in Phase B design at McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Company in Huntsville, AL. The Spacehab Module flight testing capability simulating the Space Station interior environment is expected to be available five years before Initial Operating Configuration (IOC). SPACEHAB, Inc. is creating a low cost, lower risk development lead-in rack testing capability for the commercial customer anticipating activities at Space Station.