SIGNIFICANT EVENTS - FUTURE FLIGHT PROGRAM
08/17/01

Space Station Will Study Attachment Mechanism for Fundamental Physics Payloads

The Carrier Working Group for the International Space Station has tasked Boeing to perform an engineering feasibility design of attaching the LTMPF and the two LCAP payloads onto a NASA/Shuttle cross-bay carrier using the Flight Releasable Attachment Mechanism (FRAM). The FRAM is the common attachment device that will be used to attach nearly all NASA payloads and Orbiter Replacement Units (ORU) to carriers in the cargo bay of the Shuttle. Computer models or pictures of the three payloads have been provided to Boeing as aids in this study. LTMPF should have a concept drawing and feasibility report from the Carrier Working Group before the Delta-PDR in September.