The Shuttle crew members store their equipment in lockers with removable trays. The trays are divided into compartments so that the equipment can be stuffed in and remain there because of the tight fit. Items are packed so that no item lies on top of another. This makes it easy for the crew members to see what is in each drawer.
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In such a small place as the crew compartment, it is important for everything to be neatly organized. Floating clutter would make the crewÕs job very difficult. The crew stores everything from their launch equipment, such as helmets and boots, to their waste and trash bags in the stowage lockers. Even the experiments they conduct get stowed in the lockers when not in use.
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All of the storage compartments are coded for easy identification. The following is an example of the coding sequence in the mid-deck.
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Example: MF-28-G
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The first letter, (M), stands for mid-deck.
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The second letter stands for the location in the mid-deck the compartment is located.
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F is for Front, A is for Aft, L is for Left, R is for Right, O is for Overhead, and C is for Center
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The number stands for what percentage of the wall space from the left that the compartment is found.
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28
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The last letter stands for the row the compartment is in. The letters, G, H, K, M, and O are used because there is a distinct difference in the way the letters sound when they are pronounced. This assures that Mission Control and astronauts will not make mistakes because of misunderstanding a letter.
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G, H, K, M, O
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So, the example compartment is found on the mid-deck in the front, 28% across the wall in row G.
