FOLDINGSS

Crewing the
FOLDINGSS
Missions
Both Assembly
and Operational

Table of Contents
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Assembly Crew One
Assembly Crew Two
Assembly Crew Three

Assembly Crew One

This three man crew begins the assembly and integration of FOLDINGSS research spacecraft. This crew arrives in a Dragon capsule at the site where the central habitat hub was delivered by the first heavy booster. A universal docking adapter was attached to the hub's south angular transfer structure before launch. Therefore, this first crew can dock to the station. Most likely a small CBMa based small RCS module is installed on the north side of the hub. If that method is not used, then a reaction wheel system will be installed and running on batteries within the hub. One of these two methods is used to stabilize the hub for docking.

Once the capsule is docked, the Dragon can use its RCS to position the hub as required. The Dragon provides all life support for the habitat hub in these initial stages. The first assembly step will be to stabilize the Hub, remove any module attached to the north side angular transfer structure and prepare the structure to be used as an air lock for subsequent EVAs. The next assembly step will be to receive the next heavy booster delivered parts, another universal docking adapter and two robotic arms. These are all mounted and activated on the central habitat hub.

These assembly functions define the crew requirements:

  1. An assembly commander / manager. This individual requires the usual leadership and flight capabilities expected of an astronaut, as well as piloting capabilities to dock to and move the habitat hub as required. This individual should have strong engineering skills with emphasis on structural and electrical.
  2. An engineer and EVA specialist and EVA self propelled specialist. This individual will be the primary EVA person. He will have to manually contact the second heavy booster payload package, separate the universal docking adapter and maneuver it to its CBM port on the hub. His EVAs will likely require an independent jet pack, or some remotely controlled thrusting capability will be installed on the payload package.
  3. An engineer with specialty in robotic arms. This individual will be responsible for the attachment of the two robotic arms to the two sides of the habitat hub.

These are essential skills for the first crew. The Dragon capsule will be supplying all life support functions. The hub will have charged batteries, but no power generation capabilities, so it is reliant on the Dragon capsule for energy in these initial stages. Breathing air is filtered by equipment on the Dragon as well. The first crew is joined by another Dragon capsule and three more crew soon after these initial assembly steps, so the first crew is also responsible for setting up house, so to speak. The central hub and Dragon capsules have to provide all living space. This includes, sleeping, exercise, sanitary functions, communications, entertainment, galley, and medical.

These crew members are going to have relatively long stays in these modules. Periodically they will get more space and more facilities, but a 4 month stay can be assumed in the relatively cramped and unimproved space of the habitat hub.

 

Assembly Crew Two

 


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