Rassvet (ISS module)
Encyclopedia
Rassvet also known as the Mini-Research Module 1 (MRM-1) and formerly known as the Docking Cargo Module (DCM), is a component of the International Space Station
(ISS). The module's design is similar to the Mir Docking Module
launched on STS-74
in 1995. Rassvet is primarily used for cargo storage and as a docking port for visiting spacecraft. It was flown to the ISS aboard on the STS-132
mission on May 14, 2010, and was connected to the ISS on May 18. The hatch connecting Rassvet with the ISS was first opened on May 20. On 28 June 2010, the Soyuz TMA-19
spacecraft performed the first docking with the module.
with help from the SSRMS. Rassvet carried externally attached outfitting equipment from NASA
for the Nauka Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM), a spare elbow joint for the European Robotic Arm
, and a radiator. Delivering Rassvet thus enabled NASA to fulfill its promise to ship 1.4 metric tons to equip the MLM.
Rassvet has two docking units: one to attach to the nadir port of the Zarya module, and one to provide a docking port for a Soyuz
or Progress
spacecraft. It implements the role of the Docking and Stowage Module from the original ISS design. Russia announced the cancellation of the last of the two planned Russian Research Module
s when it announced the plans for Rassvet.
' s nadir (Earth-facing) docking port. It would have been similar in size and shape to the Zarya module.
The DSM was cancelled due to Russian budgetary constraints for some time, but its design was eventually modified into the Docking and Cargo Module (Rassvet) that was to be connected to the same Zarya location to provide stowage space and a docking port. During the cancellation period, it was proposed that a Multi Purpose Module (MPM) called Enterprise should be docked to Zarya, and later the Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) was proposed to be located there as well, but the Enterprise module has since been cancelled and the MLM will be docked to Zvezda's nadir port instead.
Rassvet solved both of these issues. NASA did not need to add another payload flight to accommodate the MLM outfitting equipment, as it could attach the hardware to the exterior of MRM-1; the ISS now had 4 docking ports available: the aft port of Zvezda, the port of Pirs, later MLM (on the nadir port of Zvezda), the port of MRM-2 (on the zenith port of Zvezda), and the port on MRM-1 (on the nadir port of Zarya); and Russia's cancellation of the Research Module came to be of less consequence for the ISS program as a whole.
, from the already-made pressurized hull of the mock-up for dynamic tests of the canceled Science Power Platform
.
On December 17, 2009, an Antonov An-124
carrying the Rassvet Module and ground process equipment arrived at the Kennedy Space Center
in Florida
. Upon unloading, the equipment was delivered to a prelaunch processing facility run by the Astrotech. Energia specialists and technicians continued their work on the processing of the Rassvet module at the facility, completing stand-alone electrical tests and leak tests of the module and the airlock. They also prepared the airlock and the radiative heat exchanger for installation onto Rassvet. The module was moved to NASA's Space Station Processing Facility on April 2, 2010. After completing the final touches, it was placed into the shuttle payload transporter on April 5, 2010. The payload canister containing the Rassvet Module arrived at Launch Pad 39A on April 15, 2010.
Engineers at Launch Pad 39A preparing Space Shuttle Atlantis
had noticed paint peeling from the MRM-1 module. Although the problem was declared to have no impact on the operation of Rassvet, it posed a potential threat of releasing debris on orbit.
International Space Station
The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...
(ISS). The module's design is similar to the Mir Docking Module
Mir Docking Module
The Stykovochnyy Otsek , GRAU index 316GK, otherwise known as the Mir docking module or SO, was the sixth module of the Russian space station Mir, launched in November 1995 aboard the...
launched on STS-74
STS-74
STS-74 was a Space Shuttle Atlantis mission to the Mir space station. It was the fourth mission of the US/Russian Shuttle-Mir Program, and it carried out the second docking of a space shuttle to Mir. Atlantis lifted off for the mission on 12 November 1995 from Kennedy Space Center launch pad 39A,...
in 1995. Rassvet is primarily used for cargo storage and as a docking port for visiting spacecraft. It was flown to the ISS aboard on the STS-132
STS-132
STS-132 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission, during which Space Shuttle Atlantis docked with the International Space Station on 16 May 2010. STS-132 was launched from the Kennedy Space Center on 14 May 2010. The primary payload was the Russian Rassvet Mini-Research Module, along with an Integrated...
mission on May 14, 2010, and was connected to the ISS on May 18. The hatch connecting Rassvet with the ISS was first opened on May 20. On 28 June 2010, the Soyuz TMA-19
Soyuz TMA-19
- Backup crew :- Launch :Soyuz TMA-19 was launched by a Soyuz-FG carrier rocket flying from Site 1/5 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The launch occurred successfully on 15 June 2010, with the rocket lifting off at 21:35 UTC. After its separation from the last stage of the Soyuz-FG rocket,...
spacecraft performed the first docking with the module.
Details
Rassvet was docked to the nadir port of ZaryaZarya
Zarya , also known as the Functional Cargo Block or FGB , was the first module of the International Space Station to be launched. The FGB provided electrical power, storage, propulsion, and guidance to the ISS during the initial stage of assembly...
with help from the SSRMS. Rassvet carried externally attached outfitting equipment from NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
for the Nauka Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM), a spare elbow joint for the European Robotic Arm
European Robotic Arm
The European Robotic Arm is a robotic arm to be attached to the Russian Segment of the International Space Station. It will be the first robot arm able to work on the Russian space station segments, and will supplement the two Russian Strela cargo cranes that are already installed on the Pirs...
, and a radiator. Delivering Rassvet thus enabled NASA to fulfill its promise to ship 1.4 metric tons to equip the MLM.
Rassvet has two docking units: one to attach to the nadir port of the Zarya module, and one to provide a docking port for a Soyuz
Soyuz spacecraft
Soyuz , Union) is a series of spacecraft initially designed for the Soviet space programme by the Korolyov Design Bureau in the 1960s, and still in service today...
or Progress
Progress spacecraft
The Progress is a Russian expendable freighter spacecraft. The spacecraft is an unmanned resupply spacecraft during its flight but upon docking with a space station, it allows astronauts inside, hence it is classified manned by the manufacturer. It was derived from the Soyuz spacecraft, and is...
spacecraft. It implements the role of the Docking and Stowage Module from the original ISS design. Russia announced the cancellation of the last of the two planned Russian Research Module
Russian Research Module
The Russian Research Module was to be a Russian component of the International Space Station that provided facilities for Russian science experiments and research...
s when it announced the plans for Rassvet.
Initial planning
The initial ISS plan included a Docking and Stowage Module (DSM). This planned Russian element was intended to provide facilities for stowage and an additional docking port, and would have been launched to the station on a Proton launch vehicle. The DSM would have been mounted to ZaryaThe DSM was cancelled due to Russian budgetary constraints for some time, but its design was eventually modified into the Docking and Cargo Module (Rassvet) that was to be connected to the same Zarya location to provide stowage space and a docking port. During the cancellation period, it was proposed that a Multi Purpose Module (MPM) called Enterprise should be docked to Zarya, and later the Multipurpose Laboratory Module (MLM) was proposed to be located there as well, but the Enterprise module has since been cancelled and the MLM will be docked to Zvezda's nadir port instead.
Purpose
Rassvet was designed as a solution to two problems facing the ISS partners:- NASA was under contract to carry the MLM outfitting equipment into space.
- The overlapping missions of the Progress, SoyuzSoyuzSoyuz is Russian for "Union", and was often used as an abbreviation for the "Union of Soviet Socialist Republics" during the Communist era. In English, the term is left untranslated in the names of several Soviet-related concepts...
, and ATVAutomated Transfer VehicleThe Automated Transfer Vehicle or ATV is an expendable, unmanned resupply spacecraft developed by the European Space Agency . ATVs are designed to supply the International Space Station with propellant, water, air, payload and experiments...
spacecraft highlighted the need to have four Russian docking ports available on the ISS. The cancellation of both Russian Research Modules meant that the ISS would be left with just three such docking ports after the installation of the Permanent Multipurpose Module in 2011, which made the nadir port of Zarya unusable.
Rassvet solved both of these issues. NASA did not need to add another payload flight to accommodate the MLM outfitting equipment, as it could attach the hardware to the exterior of MRM-1; the ISS now had 4 docking ports available: the aft port of Zvezda, the port of Pirs, later MLM (on the nadir port of Zvezda), the port of MRM-2 (on the zenith port of Zvezda), and the port on MRM-1 (on the nadir port of Zarya); and Russia's cancellation of the Research Module came to be of less consequence for the ISS program as a whole.
Design and construction
The module was designed and built by S.P. Korolev RSC EnergiaS.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia
OAO S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia , also known as RKK Energiya, is a Russian manufacturer of spacecraft and space station components...
, from the already-made pressurized hull of the mock-up for dynamic tests of the canceled Science Power Platform
Science Power Platform
The Science Power Platform was a planned Russian element of the International Space Station that was intended to be delivered to the ISS by a Russian Proton rocket or Zenit rocket but was shifted to launch by Space Shuttle as part as a tradeoff agreement on other parts of the ISS...
.
On December 17, 2009, an Antonov An-124
Antonov An-124
The Antonov An-124 Ruslan is a strategic airlift jet aircraft. It was designed by the Ukrainian SSR's Antonov design bureau, then part of the Soviet Union. It is the world's largest ever serially-manufactured cargo airplane and world's second largest operating cargo aircraft...
carrying the Rassvet Module and ground process equipment arrived at the Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA installation that has been the launch site for every United States human space flight since 1968. Although such flights are currently on hiatus, KSC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for America's civilian space program...
in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. Upon unloading, the equipment was delivered to a prelaunch processing facility run by the Astrotech. Energia specialists and technicians continued their work on the processing of the Rassvet module at the facility, completing stand-alone electrical tests and leak tests of the module and the airlock. They also prepared the airlock and the radiative heat exchanger for installation onto Rassvet. The module was moved to NASA's Space Station Processing Facility on April 2, 2010. After completing the final touches, it was placed into the shuttle payload transporter on April 5, 2010. The payload canister containing the Rassvet Module arrived at Launch Pad 39A on April 15, 2010.
Engineers at Launch Pad 39A preparing Space Shuttle Atlantis
Space Shuttle Atlantis
The Space Shuttle Atlantis is a retired Space Shuttle orbiter in the Space Shuttle fleet belonging to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration , the spaceflight and space exploration agency of the United States...
had noticed paint peeling from the MRM-1 module. Although the problem was declared to have no impact on the operation of Rassvet, it posed a potential threat of releasing debris on orbit.
Basic specifications
MRM-1 basic specifications:| Module launch mass | 5075 kg |
| Total Launch mass | 8015 kg |
| Maximum hull diameter | 2.35 m |
| Hull length between docking assembly planes | 6 m |
| Pressurized volume | 17.4 m3 |
| Habitable volume | 5.85 m3 |
External links
- http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/dsm.htm
- http://www.russianspaceweb.com/iss_enterprise.html
- http://nasatech.net/Astrotech-MM2_100324/ Rassvet at Astrotech looking NW
- http://nasatech.net/Astrotech-Rassvet1_100324/ Rassvet at Astrotech looking north
- http://nasatech.net/Astrotech-Rassvet2_100324/ Rassvet at Astrotech from above
- http://nasatech.net/Astrotech-Rassvet3_100324/ Rassvet at Astrotech looking SE