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Previous ships called Freedom: Difference between revisions
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Space Station Freedom was the name given to NASA's project to construct a permanently-manned earth-orbiting space station. Although approved by then-president Ronald Reagan and announced in the 1984 State of the Union Address, Freedom was never constructed or completed as originally designed, and was eventually scaled-back and converted into the International Space Station currently in operation today. | Space Station Freedom was the name given to NASA's project to construct a permanently-manned earth-orbiting space station. Although approved by then-president Ronald Reagan and announced in the 1984 State of the Union Address, Freedom was never constructed or completed as originally designed, and was eventually scaled-back and converted into the International Space Station currently in operation today. | ||
Original proposal | ===Original proposal=== | ||
In the early 1980s, with the space shuttle completed, NASA proposed the creation of a large, permanently-manned space station, which then-NASA-Administrator James M. Beggs called "the next logical step" in space. In some ways it was meant to be the U.S. answer to the Soviet Mir. NASA plans called for the station, which was later dubbed Space Station Freedom, to function as an orbiting repair shop for satellites, an assembly point for spacecraft, an observation post for astronomers, a microgravity laboratory for scientists, and a microgravity factory for companies. | In the early 1980s, with the space shuttle completed, NASA proposed the creation of a large, permanently-manned space station, which then-NASA-Administrator James M. Beggs called "the next logical step" in space. In some ways it was meant to be the U.S. answer to the Soviet Mir. NASA plans called for the station, which was later dubbed Space Station Freedom, to function as an orbiting repair shop for satellites, an assembly point for spacecraft, an observation post for astronomers, a microgravity laboratory for scientists, and a microgravity factory for companies. | ||
Reagan announced plans to build Space Station Freedom in 1984, stating: "We can follow our dreams to distant stars, living and working in space for peaceful economic and scientific gain." | Reagan announced plans to build Space Station Freedom in 1984, stating: "We can follow our dreams to distant stars, living and working in space for peaceful economic and scientific gain." | ||
Design iterations | ===Design iterations=== | ||
Following the Presidential announcement, NASA began a set of studies to determine the potential uses for the space station, both in research and in industry, in the US or overseas. This led to the creation of a database of thousands of possible missions and payloads; studies were also carried out with a view to supporting potential planetary missions, as well as those in low-earth orbit. | Following the Presidential announcement, NASA began a set of studies to determine the potential uses for the space station, both in research and in industry, in the US or overseas. This led to the creation of a database of thousands of possible missions and payloads; studies were also carried out with a view to supporting potential planetary missions, as well as those in low-earth orbit. | ||
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During 1986 and 1987, various other studies were carried out on the future of the US space program; the results of these often impacted the Space Station, and their recommendations were folded into the revised baseline as necessary. One of the results of these was to baseline the Station program as requiring five shuttle flights a year for operations and logistics, rotating four crew at a time with the aim of extending individual stay times to 180 days. | During 1986 and 1987, various other studies were carried out on the future of the US space program; the results of these often impacted the Space Station, and their recommendations were folded into the revised baseline as necessary. One of the results of these was to baseline the Station program as requiring five shuttle flights a year for operations and logistics, rotating four crew at a time with the aim of extending individual stay times to 180 days. | ||
Collapse of the station program | ===Collapse of the station program=== | ||
Underestimates by NASA of the station program's cost and unwillingness by the U.S. Congress to appropriate funding for the space station resulted in delays of Freedom's design and construction; it was regularly redesigned and rescoped - between 1984 and 1993 it went through seven major re-designs - losing capacity and capabilities each time. Rather than being completed in a decade, as Reagan had predicted, Freedom was never built, and no Shuttle launches were made as part of the program. | Underestimates by NASA of the station program's cost and unwillingness by the U.S. Congress to appropriate funding for the space station resulted in delays of Freedom's design and construction; it was regularly redesigned and rescoped - between 1984 and 1993 it went through seven major re-designs - losing capacity and capabilities each time. Rather than being completed in a decade, as Reagan had predicted, Freedom was never built, and no Shuttle launches were made as part of the program. | ||
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History records Freedom as being a failed project which lacked direction. However, by the time it was cancelled, the program had a firm plan, design of most components (with the notable exception of the Crew Return Vehicle) was finalised, and a large amount of flight hardware had been constructed. Had political support remained, it is likely that Freedom would have been launched in the same timeframe as the ISS, and reach a complete (four-man) configuration around 2003-5. | History records Freedom as being a failed project which lacked direction. However, by the time it was cancelled, the program had a firm plan, design of most components (with the notable exception of the Crew Return Vehicle) was finalised, and a large amount of flight hardware had been constructed. Had political support remained, it is likely that Freedom would have been launched in the same timeframe as the ISS, and reach a complete (four-man) configuration around 2003-5. | ||
Conversion to the International Space Station | ===Conversion to the International Space Station=== | ||
In 1993, the administration of President Bill Clinton announced the transformation of Space Station Freedom into the International Space Station (ISS). Then-NASA-Administrator Dan Goldin supervised the addition of Russia to the project. To accommodate reduced budgets, the station design was scaled-back from 508 to 353 square feet (47 to 33 | In 1993, the administration of President Bill Clinton announced the transformation of Space Station Freedom into the International Space Station (ISS). Then-NASA-Administrator Dan Goldin supervised the addition of Russia to the project. To accommodate reduced budgets, the station design was scaled-back from 508 to 353 square feet (47 to 33 m²), the crew capacity was reduced from 7 to 3, and the station's functions were reduced. | ||
==USS Freedom (LCS-01)== | ==USS Freedom (LCS-01)== | ||
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Freedom is the first of two dramatically different LCS seaframes being produced; the other (unnamed as of 2005) is under construction by General Dynamics's Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. | Freedom is the first of two dramatically different LCS seaframes being produced; the other (unnamed as of 2005) is under construction by General Dynamics's Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. | ||
==USS Freedom== | ==USS Freedom== | ||