Structural dynamics model and response of the deployable reference configuration space station

The analytical models and results of a structural dynamics investigation of the reference initial operation and evolutionary configurations of the nine foot bay space station are presented. This investigation was carried out between April and August 1984 as part of a team effort to define a reference configuration for the first U.S. manned space station. The results presented herein serve as a guide, a point of departure and a standard for future NASA and contractor studies leading to the design of the Space Station. The reference initial operation configuration of the nine foot bay station was found to be very flexible, with its lowest mode between 0.096 and 0.138 Hertz depending on station attachments. However, for the transient load cases which were then available, internal member loads had positive margins of safety and preliminary results indicate that laboratory experiments which require quiescent conditions can be satisfied down to the order of 0.0001 g's.