The Orbital Replaceable Unit (ORU), EURECA, and Columbus Space Station are discussed as typical of trends in orbital servicing. It is shown that cost effective utilization of space platforms is provided by the low cost operation of a relatively small co-orbiting platform suited to 1000 kg payloads and 25 percent of the payload of a Space Shuttle (4200 kg) like EURECA. Frequent flight opportunities for external payload will be provided by on-orbit servicing. Servicing operations will start with low degree of serviceability and will be gradually increased with maturing servicing technologies. This will include remotely operated ORU exchange and complete payload element exchange or assembly. The GRASP orbital assembly mission planned by ESA will benefit from science carrier capabilities as well as from servicing techniques developed for on-orbit deployment of the large instrument.


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    Title :

    External Payload Servicing: Operational Requirements and Technology


    Contributors:
    J. Weydandt (author) / K. Ludwig (author) / H. Wartenberg (author)

    Publication date :

    1987


    Size :

    10 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English