Results are presented of tests conducted to evaluate a mobile work station/assembly fixture concept that would mechanically assist an astronaut in the on-orbit manual assembly of erectable truss-beams. The concept eliminates astronaut manual translation by use of a motorized work platform with foot restraints. The tests involved assembly of a tetrahedral truss-beam by a test subject in simulated zero gravity (neutral bouyancy in water). A three-bay truss-beam was assembled from 30 aluminum struts with quick-attachment structural joints. The results show that average on-orbit assembly rates of 2.1 struts per minute can be expected for struts of the size employed in these tests.
Swing-arm beam erector (SABER) concept for single astronaut assembly of space structure
1985-03-01
Report
No indication
English
Online Contents | 2000
|Online Contents | 1999
|Space Station's Seventh Astronaut
Emerald Group Publishing | 1986
Online Contents | 2000
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