ABOVE and BEYOND 18 | BOEING FRONTIERS Boeing engineers aim to keep the International Space Station operating safely for a long time BY DAN RALEY he International Space Station hurtles through space at 5 miles (8 kilometers) per second, while dealing with radiation exposure and extreme temperatures, reason enough it was expected to last just 15 years. Yet as it easily passes that milestone and prepares for the scheduled 2017 arrival of Boeing’s Crew Space Transportation vehicle, known as the CST-100 Starliner, the station is receiving an extensive remodel with the installation of two International Docking Adapters. It is no simple upgrade. “Imagine taking a house you’ve lived in for 15 years and deciding to move the master bedroom from the first floor to the second floor, detach the attached garage and add a mother-in-law apartment,” said Dave Clemen, Boeing manager of development projects and NASA docking systems for ISS, explaining the complex reshuffling involving the adapter. The international adapter will Photo illustration: A view of the International Space Station. SHUTTERSTOCK T
Frontiers March 2016 Issue
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