Space Vehicle Structures — Does Man's Presence Make Any Difference?

Mariner IV and the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) are compared to explore the question “Does man's presence make any difference in space vehicle structures?” The environment, mission requirements, and subsystem interfaces are examined to determine the extent to which they affect the space vehicle structure and to see which elements are influenced by the presence of man.

The author concludes from the comparison that man is a unique payload for a space vehicle and, consequently, his presence strongly influences the payload structure. The rest of the space vehicle structure is primarily influenced by size requirements and by mission duration.