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MARSHALL   SPACE   FLIGHT   CENTER

Traditional Center Roles and Responsibilities

The Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, was
established on July 1, 1960 through the transfer to NASA of
part of the U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Agency.  The Center
was named in honor of General George C. Marshall, the Army
Chief of Staff during World War II, Secretary of State, and
Nobel Prize Winner for his world-renowned "Marshall Plan."
Rocket pioneer Dr. Wernher von Braun was the Center's first
director.

Marshall is well-prepared  for its Freedom Station
responsibilities, having managed America's first space
station, Skylab, which was launched in 1973.  In addition to
having overall program management of Skylab, Marshall was
responsible for much of Skylab's hardware and science
experiment development and for the integration of the
hardware and experiments into Skylab.

Marshall is also NASA's lead center for Spacelab, a Space
Shuttle-based, short-stay space station that is serving as a
stepping stone to the permanently-manned Freedom Station.
Marshall developed selected Spacelab hardware and provided
technical and programmatic monitoring of the international
Spacelab development effort.  The Center is also responsible
for managing many Spacelab missions that include developing
mission plans, integrating payloads, training payload crews,
and controlling payload operations.  Marshall is the home of
NASA's Payload Operations Control Center (POCC) from which
Spacelab and other major science missions are controlled.

The Marshall Center has managed many successful space
projects since its creation nearly three decades ago.  It
provided the Redstone rocket that put Alan Shepard into
space in 1961.  It developed the Saturn family of rockets
that boosted man to the Moon in 1969.  Saturns were also
used in 1973 and 1974 to launch Skylab as well as Skylab
crews, and in 1975 to carry the Apollo spacecraft into Earth
orbit for the historic link-up with the Russian Soyuz
spacecraft.

Marshall payloads have included the three Pegasus (1965),
micrometeoroid detection satellites; the Lunar Roving
Vehicle (1971) for use on the lunar surface; and the High
Energy Astronomy Observatories launched in 1977, 1978 and
1979 to study stars and star-like objects.

In helping to reach the nation's present and future goals in
space, the Center is working on more projects today than at
any time in its history.  In addition to its Space Station
Freedom and Spacelab roles, Marshall provides the Space
Shuttle main engines, the external tank, and solid rocket
boosters for each Shuttle mission.  Marshall is NASA's lead
center for the Hubble Space Telescope, scheduled for launch
in December 1989.

Other current Marshall projects include the Advanced Solid
Rocket Motor (ASRM); the Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics
Facility (AXAF); the Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle (OMV); the
Inertial Upper State (IUS); the Transfer Orbit Stage (TOS);
and the Tethered Satellite System.

The Marshall Center is working to develop an unmanned
cargo-carrying version of the Space Shuttle.  This Shuttle-C
(for cargo) could triple the lift capability of the current
Shuttle system.  Other future-oriented programs include
studies focusing on missions to Mars, a return to the Moon
and establishment of bases on both bodies, and a series of
Earth-observing experiments and space-based facilities to
help us protect our environment and more fully understand
the planet on which we live.  Marshall facilities in
Huntsville include structural and test firing facilities for
large space systems, unique and specialized laboratories for
a wide variety of studies, and facilities for assembling and
testing large space hardware.  It also operates the Michoud
Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Slidell Computer Complex
in Louisianna, and tests Space Shuttle main engines at the
Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.

MARSHALL   SPACE   FLIGHT   CENTER

Space Station Freedom Unique Activities


U.S. Laboratory Module

Marshall is responsible for the U.S. Laboratory Module,
capable of supporting multidiscipline payloads, including
materials research, development and processing, life
sciences research, and other space science investigations in
a pressurized area.  User-provided equipment in the module
includes furnaces for growing semiconductor crystals,
electrokinetic devices for separating pharmaceuticals,
support equipment for low-gravity experiments, and a
centrifuge for variable gravity experiments in life
sciences.

Marshall is responsible for the Habitation Module for
eating, sleeping, personal hygiene, waste management,
recreation, health maintenance and other habitation
functions requiring pressurized space.  The same size as the
U.S. Laboratory, the Habitation Module is able to
accommodate up to eight astronauts.  These astronauts will
be able to exercise in the Habitation Module, and they will
be able to monitor their health through vital signs, x-rays,
and blood samples.

Habitation Module

Logistics Elements

Marshall is responsible for the logistics elements required
for the transport of cargo to and from the station for
resupply of items required for crew, station and payloads;
and for the on-orbit storage of these cargoes.  A key
element will be the Pressurized Logistics Carrier to carry
items used inside the station modules.  Other elements
include Unpressurized Logistics Carriers for the transport
of spares for the exterior of the station, fluids,
propellants, and dry cargo.

Environmental Control & Life Support , Internal Thermal
Control and Audio/Video Systems

Marshall is responsible for the Environmental Control and
Life Support System (ECLSS).  The ECLSS provides a
shirtsleeve environment for the astronauts in all the
pressurized modules of Space Station Freedom.  A key feature
of the ECLSS is the regenerative design in the air
revitalization and water reclamation systems.  Freedom
Station's internal thermal control and audio/video systems
are  also provided by Marshall.

Resource Node Structure

Marshall is responsible for the structure of the Resource
Nodes, required to interconnect the primary pressurized
elements of the manned portion of Space Station Freedom.
Resource Nodes also house key control functions.  Marshall
provides the Resource Node structures, berthing mechanisms,
racks, the ECLSS system, internal thermal control, and
internal audio and video communication systems.
MARSHALL   SPACE   FLIGHT   CENTER

Traditional Center Roles and Responsibilities

The Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, was
established on July 1, 1960 through the transfer to NASA of
part of the U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Agency.  The Center
was named in honor of General George C. Marshall, the Army
Chief of Staff during World War II, Secretary of State, and
Nobel Prize Winner for his world-renowned "Marshall Plan."
Rocket pioneer Dr. Wernher von Braun was the Center's first
director.

Marshall is well-prepared  for its Freedom Station
responsibilities, having managed America's first space
station, Skylab, which was launched in 1973.  In addition to
having overall program management of Skylab, Marshall was
responsible for much of Skylab's hardware and science
experiment development and for the integration of the
hardware and experiments into Skylab.

Marshall is also NASA's lead center for Spacelab, a Space
Shuttle-based, short-stay space station that is serving as a
stepping stone to the permanently-manned Freedom Station.
Marshall developed selected Spacelab hardware and provided
technical and programmatic monitoring of the international
Spacelab development effort.  The Center is also responsible
for managing many Spacelab missions that include developing
mission plans, integrating payloads, training payload crews,
and controlling payload operations.  Marshall is the home of
NASA's Payload Operations Control Center (POCC) from which
Spacelab and other major science missions are controlled.

The Marshall Center has managed many successful space
projects since its creation nearly three decades ago.  It
provided the Redstone rocket that put Alan Shepard into
space in 1961.  It developed the Saturn family of rockets
that boosted man to the Moon in 1969.  Saturns were also
used in 1973 and 1974 to launch Skylab as well as Skylab
crews, and in 1975 to carry the Apollo spacecraft into Earth
orbit for the historic link-up with the Russian Soyuz
spacecraft.

Marshall payloads have included the three Pegasus (1965),
micrometeoroid detection satellites; the Lunar Roving
Vehicle (1971) for use on the lunar surface; and the High
Energy Astronomy Observatories launched in 1977, 1978 and
1979 to study stars and star-like objects.

In helping to reach the nation's present and future goals in
space, the Center is working on more projects today than at
any time in its history.  In addition to its Space Station
Freedom and Spacelab roles, Marshall provides the Space
Shuttle main engines, the external tank, and solid rocket
boosters for each Shuttle mission.  Marshall is NASA's lead
center for the Hubble Space Telescope, scheduled for launch
in December 1989.

Other current Marshall projects include the Advanced Solid
Rocket Motor (ASRM); the Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics
Facility (AXAF); the Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle (OMV); the
Inertial Upper State (IUS); the Transfer Orbit Stage (TOS);
and the Tethered Satellite System.

The Marshall Center is working to develop an unmanned
cargo-carrying version of the Space Shuttle.  This Shuttle-C
(for cargo) could triple the lift capability of the current
Shuttle system.  Other future-oriented programs include
studies focusing on missions to Mars, a return to the Moon
and establishment of bases on both bodies, and a series of
Earth-observing experiments and space-based facilities to
help us protect our environment and more fully understand
the planet on which we live.  Marshall facilities in
Huntsville include structural and test firing facilities for
large space systems, unique and specialized laboratories for
a wide variety of studies, and facilities for assembling and
testing large space hardware.  It also operates the Michoud
Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Slidell Computer Complex
in Louisianna, and tests Space Shuttle main engines at the
Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.


MARSHALL   SPACE   FLIGHT   CENTER

Elements  and  Systems

U.S. Laboratory Module

The U.S. Laboratory Module is a pressurized cylinder, about
13.5 meters (44 feet) long and 4.22 meters (14 feet) in
diameter, located below the lower face of the transverse
boom and attached perpendicular and just to the right of
center on the boom.  It provides a shirt-sleeve environment
for astronauts engaged in research and experimentation.  The
U.S. Laboratory Module will be located at the station's
center of gravity, primarily for microgravity research
payloads.

Purpose
The U.S. Laboratory Module is a core element dedicated to
multidiscipline payloads within a pressurized habitable
volume.  Principal types of activity include:

?#materials research and development most sensitive to
acceleration;
?#research in basic science requiring long duration of
extremely low acceleration levels;
?#life science research relating to adaptation to long
exposure to microgravity;
?#control and monitoring of user-attached pressurized
payloads and selected external attached payloads;
?#control and monitoring of user-attached pressurized
payloads and selected external attached payloads; and
?#the intravehicular activity (IVA) including maintenance
and servicing of orbital replacement units (ORUs),
instruments, and equipment requiring workbench support in a
pressurized volume

The laboratory is pressurized to sea level pressure
(14.7psi) and is able to accommodate up to 46 cubic meters
(28 double racks) of payloads and payload support equipment
located along the port and starboard walls of the lab.
Along the floor and ceiling are the environmental control
and life support system (ECLSS) components, other
distributed system components, lab outfitting equipment and
storage lockers.  The life sciences centrifuge provides
artificial gravity for living specimens.

Structure
The U.S. Laboratory Module consists of two basic structures
and a number of layers.  The primary structure consists of a
pressurized shell, and a meteoroid shield. Sandwiched
between these two layers is multilayer insulation for
thermal protection.  The exterior will also have attached
point viewports and grappling fixtures.

The secondary structure consists of mounting hardware which
provides rigidity for attaching equipment racks and other
equipment to the pressurized shell.  Utility lines are also
mounted to this secondary structure.

Design
The U.S. Laboratory Module uses a common design that is the
prime building block for all the pressurized modules, based
upon proven materials and processes.  The approach results
in a commonality of parts, assemblies, components and
subsystems, leading to simplified manufacturing processes, a
reduction in spares, and ease of maintenance.  Design
commonality also means that about 80% of the hardware needed
for the station's two-fault tolerant life support systems
will be common in the U.S. Laboratory, the Habitation
Module, the Pressurized Logistics Carrier and the Resource
Nodes.  Furthermore, commonality of design and architectural
continuity adds to a sense of familiar surroundings for the
crew.  A pleasing environment helps to promote crew
productivity and a feeling of well-being.


The modular design consistent throughout the station means
that some components can be moved from one module to
another, or to the nodes, as the station evolves and needs
change.  Designed with the user in mind, the U.S. Laboratory
Module is segmented by work activity.  For example, crystal
growers need power, vacuum, thermal control and purge gas in
close proximity.  Life scientists need a glovebox,
centrifuge, equipment washer and specimens readily
available.  Lightweight composite experiment racks are
designed to tilt down for servicing, replacement, cleaning
and transfer to the Shuttle or to other modules.

MARSHALL   SPACE   FLIGHT   CENTER

Elements  and  Systems


The Habitation Module
The United States provides the living quarters for use by
all the astronauts.  The Habitation Module is an
environmentally protected enclosure intended for long
duration crew activity and habitation functions like eating,
sleeping, exercise, relaxation, medical operations and some
work activities.  It is the same size as the U.S. Laboratory
Module and provides the same shirtsleeve environment.  The
Habitation Module is located parallel and next to the U.S.
Laboratory Module in the cluster of pressurized modules that
make up the manned base.


Isolated somewhat from the other modules, the Habitation
Module is part of the safe haven and emergency provisions
for the crew.  It has internal audio and video, data and
information handling, and utility distribution and control.
The floor and ceiling are used for stowage, equipment and
provisions for crew and daily operations.

The interior of the Habitation Module is outfitted for
cooking, sleeping, personal hygiene and other human needs.
At one end are vertical sleep restraints and emergency
provisions.  At the other end, where module-to-module
berthing is located, are the galley and wardroom.  The
galley is equipped with an oven, refrigerator/freezer, trash
compactor, hand and dish washer, and water supply.  The
wardroom, equipped with windows for looking out into space,
is an area for entertainment, eating and monitoring of
energy and life support systems.  The middle of the
Habitation Module is devoted to health and hygiene.
Exercise and medical  equipment  is  located on one side,
and laundry, bathroom and shower are located on the other
side.

Special attention is devoted to the Habitation Module in
order to assure a "crew friendly" environment.  Materials
and techniques learned from airplane cabin technology will
keep noise levels at about 50 decibels--as quiet as a
whisper.  Each crew member will have a private, dedicated
compartment for sleep, rest, quiet reading or just privacy.
This dedicated area of at least 50 cubic feet for each of
the eight astronauts will be sufficient for a change of
clothes and limited stowage of personal effects for 90 to
100-day missions.

Yet, the Habitation Module is also a work area.  Work
stations in this module include those dedicated to station
operations, payload and experiment operations, proximity and
maintenance operations, and crew health care.

The Health Maintenance Facility includes test and diagnostic
instruments, a patient restraint, medical provisions to care
for or stabilize an injury or illness, exercise equipment
and an environmental health subsystem.  The last mentioned
includes instruments for microbiological, toxicological,
radiation,and accoustics measurements.  A computerized
health care system keeps track of medical supplies, crew
condition and checkup schedules.

The Habitation Module is designed for eight crew members.
The tabletop panels adjust to provide various seating
arrangements for the entire crew for meals, meetings, games,
relaxation, or teleconferencing.  Of course, since work
schedules are expected to be scattered, four members of the
crew may be eating supper while four others are eating
breakfast.

The exterior and shells for meteoroid and radiation
protection are similar to those of the U.S. Laboratory
Module.  Thus, the "Hab and Lab" Modules are made from the
same materials and same basic designs, resulting in
commonality and an estimated 20% cost savings.

While there is no "up" or "down" in weightless space, the
Habitation Module does resemble a ultramodern, earthbound
kitchen, den, laundry and entertainment center.  The notable
exception is the vertical sleep restraint system in place of
bunkbeds.  See the JSC section for more on outfitting the
Habitation Module.

MARSHALL   SPACE   FLIGHT   CENTER

Elements  and  Systems

Logistics Elements
Logistics elements are cargo canisters attached to the
station  truss or to a module.  They are designed to be
replaced rather than refilled, containing either dry or
fluid material, propellant, and experiments or specimens.
The combination of cargoes will vary for each flight to and
from the station, depending on the needs of the crew,
payloads and platforms.

Basically, Space Station Freedom requires two kinds of
logistics elements: pressurized and unpressurized.  Both are
needed in the transport of equipment, supplies and fluids
to the station, and to return experiment results, equipment
and waste products back
to Earth.  These cylindrical carriers provide the logistics
for the ground-to-orbit, on-orbit supply and storage, and
return-to-ground requirements of the station.  They are
designed to fit in the cargo bay of the Space Shuttle.

Pressurized Logistics Carrier (PLC)
The basic purpose of the PLC is to provide ready, on-orbit
access to cargo without extravehicular activity.  That means
the PLC is a habitable environment, providing a benign,
temporary storage facility for cargo.  Thus, the PLC
contains all the electrical, thermal and air pressure
requirements of an inhabited module.  It will transport
cargo, including life science (e.g., plants, etc.)
specimens, requiring a pressurized environment and then
transports equipment, products, plants, biological specimens
and waste from the station.  The interchangeable racks
contain consumables, spare parts, experiment parts, and
orbital replacement units (ORUs).   The ORUs are modular
components of the station that can be easily removed and
replaced.

Unpressurized Logistics Carriers (ULCs)
Other ORUs, payloads and equipment do not need a pressurized
environment.  Therefore, several unpressurized logistics
carriers will be berthed at station ports.  Typical contents
in the ULCs include dry cargo; ORUs for station, payloads
and platforms; payloads and experiments for the station and
platforms; and fluids for the crew, payloads and the ECLSS.

Depending on the particular logistics resupply requirements
for that flight, fresh logistics elements may be exchanged
for expended ones.  The newly arrived logistics elements
will be transferred to the station, hooked up and checked
out before the returning element is removed from the station
and loaded into the Shuttle cargo bay for the return trip to
Earth.

The exact designs, sizes and positions for the various
logistics carriers have not been decided.  At present, a
Pressurized Logistics Carrier will be located on the nadir
of the station--that is, in the direction of the Earth.  It
will be approximately 14 feet in diameter; its length
depends on the amount of cargo that will need to be
pressurized and readily available.  The PLC, structured like
the nodes and modules for commonality of manufacture and
design, will be cylindrical with conical ends.  It will have
attachment mechanisms to berth with both the station and the
Shuttle.  It will be berthed at either Node 1 or Node 2.

The Unpressurized Logistics Carriers will also berth at
station ports, but out on the truss.  The diameter of the
ULCs will, of course, be no wider than the Shuttle's cargo
bay, and their lengths may vary.  Certainly, one of the ULCs
will contain dry cargo; another fluids and another
propellant.  As the station evolves, additional carriers
will be required for enhancements to the power or thermal
systems, longer duration missions, and, possibly, the
refueling and resupply of spacecraft that stop off at Space
Station Freedom on a mission to Mars and beyond.

Presently, three PLCs and four ULCs are being built at
Marshall.  The PLCs feature a portable, automated inventory
system using handheld bar code readers, plus a lightweight
plug door and a roller floor to reduce ground handling.  The
ULCs are designed to accept square carriers and nearly 60
different combinations of carrier racks.

MARSHALL   SPACE   FLIGHT   CENTER

Elements  and  Systems

Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS)
Marshall is responsible for the Environmental Control and
Life Support System (ECLSS) which is divided into seven
distinct subsystems:
#1.  temperature and humidity control,
#2.  atmosphere control and supply,
#3.  atmosphere revitalization,
#4.  water recovery and management,
#5.  fire detection and suppression,
#6.  waste management, and
#7.  support for extravehicular activity.
Primarily, the ECLSS provides a habitable environment for
crew and biological experiment specimens.

The ECLSS represents a breakthrough in closed-loop life
support, necessary for long duration missions to Mars and
beyond.
Water is recycled through the collection of H2O  in both air
and liquids, such as urine and sweat.  The ECLSS produces
potable water, even from urine, although such water is
labeled "hygiene quality" for washing and cleansing.  Carbon
dioxide is collected in one of two ways, both of them
producing more potable water.  The CO2  collected can yield
either water and carbon (the Bosch method) or water and
methane (the Sabatier method.)  Waste products are
containerized and returned to Earth.  There shall be no
overboard dumping of solids or liquids.

The only vital chemical for life, missing, is nitrogen which
must be shipped and stored.
Nevertheless, the hardware for the ECLSS is distributed
throughout the pressurized modules to assure sealevel
pressure, temperature, humidity, and air composition;  as
well as potable and hygiene water, and fire detection/
suppression equipment.  For redundancy, repressurization and
fire fighting equipment are located in both the Habitation
and U.S. Laboratory Modules.  Design challenges for the
remainder of this decade included the ability of the ECLSS
to maintain microbial and chemical system cleanliness during
extended duration and multiple reuses of potable and hygiene
water supplies.

The ECLSS will collect, process, and dispense water as
required, to meet the needs of the crew and any other users.
It will pretreat waste water in order to prevent chemical
breakdown and the growth of microbes.  Post-treatment
systems and a water quality monitoring system will ensure
that the water provided to users is of sufficient quality.

Waste management is another important function of the ECLSS.
Waste products (e.g., metabolic waste, food/packaging,
regenerative process effluents, hard copy waste, etc.)  will
be collected and processed for conversions to useful
products or returned to Earth.  Venting of gases shall be
strictly controlled so as to avoid contamination or
degradation of the exterior shells of modules, not to
mention exposed payloads out on the truss.

The ECLSS will provide support for servicing the
Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU), the Extravehicular
Excursion Unit, and the EVA systems.  It will provide the
depressurization and repressurization of the two airlocks
and the hyperbaric chamber.  An interface will exist between
the ECLSS and the Thermal Control System (TCS) for the
removal of heat from the atmosphere of the pressurized
elements.

Commonality is stressed as the ECLSS is built into each of
the U.S. Laboratory and Habitation Modules, nodes and the
pressurized logistics carrier.   It is estimated that
four-fifths of all the hardware that is installed for the
ECLSS in Space Station Freedom is identical.  This
commonality reduces manufacturing costs, lightens the load
for spare parts, and makes repairs simpler and quicker.  In
the event of an accident or malfunction, the ECLSS is built
with redundant life-critical hardware in both U.S. modules
to satisfy safehaven requirements.

The ECLSS represents design challenges not seen on previous
space programs.  The requirements for closed loop air and
water systems extend human duration in space and reduce
resupply flights significantly.

MARSHALL   SPACE   FLIGHT   CENTER

Elements  and  Systems


Resource Node Structure
Resource Nodes are required to interconnect the primary
pressurized elements of Space Station Freedom.  As such,
these nodes also house key controls for operations.

A resource node is a pressurized volume and an
environmentally controlled enclosure.  It is also a center
for Space Station Freedom command, control, and operations.
Distributed subsystems are located and controlled here at
workstations.  Each of the four Resource Nodes, located at
each end of the U.S. Laboratory and Habitation Modules,
provides a pressurized passageway to and from the modules
and an interface to the Space Shuttle.

Built like the other pressurized modules, the four nodes
will be smaller, about 17 feet long and 14 feet in diameter,
designed to reduce the amount of EVA time required to
assemble the station.

Node 1 is the spacecraft control center for both unmanned
flight and man-tended operations.  Located between the U.S.
Laboratory and ESA's Columbus Module, Node 1 may also
contain some components of the propulsion subsystem and
attaches to the hyperbaric airlock, the Pressurized
Logistics Carrier, and Node 2.

Node 2 may become the man-tended command and control
station, located between the Habitation Module and the
Japanese Experiment Module (JEM).  It provides spacecraft
and station backup command and control work-stations.

Node 3 is likely the primary command and central station for
the pressurized modules, located at the forward end of the
U.S. Laboratory Module.  Node 3 is expected to contain the
control mechanisms for the distributed utility systems, a
control station for proximity operations, and a backup
central station for the Mobile Servicing System (MSS).

Node 4, connected to Node 3 and the forward end of the
Habitation Module, features a Cupola, designed for proximity
operations and berthing of the Space Shuttle.  Node 4
provides the prime command and control for the Mobile
Servicing System.

Each of the four Nodes are designed and outfitted by Johnson
Space Center but are built at Marshall Space Flight Center.
Each node is a pressurized, environmentally controlled
element designed to perform a variety of activities:

*passage of crew and equipment
*station command and control functions
*external view for berthing and proximity operation
*IVA control and monitoring electronics for the MSS and FTS
*residence for station distributed systems
*residence for supporting utility systems equipment
*limited station storage
*limited user payload operation


Contingency access to the nodes shall be provided as soon as
each is added to the station assembly.


The final configuration of the four nodes has not been
determined.  Nevertheless, in the design stage, the Resource
Node and Airlock System promises many tested and innovative
features.  Berthing mechanisms with flexible bellows and
gimbals will provide better tolerance in the assembly phase.
Subsystems will be mounted in the end cones for volumetric
efficiency.  The Cupola is being designed for maximum
viewing with both portable and installed command and control
consoles.


Baseline requirements call for a nadir (earth-facing) and
zenith (stellar-facing) Cupola.  It must be able to dock an
Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle (OMV) and accommodate two large
astronauts.   A Cupola cover can extend and retract for
meteoroid protection.

MARSHALL   SPACE   FLIGHT   CENTER

Facilities

Payload Operations Integration Center

The Payload Operations Integration Center (POIC) will be
used to "manage" or "control" real-time research operations,
interfacing with the Space Station Control Center in
Houston, Texas and various user facilities in other
communities.  As a control central point for payload
operations, the POIC will integrate science operation
centers and will house computer systems for mission planning
system and analytical tools.

Engineering Support Center

The Engineering Support Center  (ESC), an adjunct to the
Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC), will provide
Work Package 1 engineering support for real-time operations.
The ESC serves as a control point for requests from the SSCS
and the POIC for engineering support to operations.  It also
supports the engineering flight evaluation and anomaly
resolution for Space Station Freedom.

Payload Training Facility

The Payload Training Facility (PTF) will provide for the
development, maintenance and verification of payload
operations training, including the hardware and software to
support the training of payload crew, Payload Operations
Integration Center  personnel, experimenters and users.  The
PTF will provide both space station data as well as
training.

MARSHALL  SPACE   FLIGHT  CENTER

Space Station Freedom Organization

The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)  in Huntsville,
Alabama been designated as the Work Package 1 Center.  Work
Package 1 includes the design and manufacture of the
astronaut's living quarters, known as the Habitation Module;
the U.S. Laboratory Module; logistics elements, used for
resupply and storage; node structures connecting the
modules; the Environmental Control and Life Support System;
and the thermal control and audio/video systems located
within the pressurized modules.

MSFC has established the Level III Space Station Freedom
Projects Office to manage and direct the various design,
development and operational activities needed to
successfully complete the Work Package 1 assignment.

A unique aspect of this organization is its emphasis upon
Environmental Control and Life Support Systems in
spaceflight.  Preparing accommodations for a crew of eight
for 90-day stretches is vastly complex, but to develop the
world's first closed-loop life support system is a real
challenge for Marshall Space Flight Center, preparing the
U.S. for longer duration missions to Mars and beyond.