A SMALL SPACE PLATFORM SYSTEM: POSSIBLE PRECURSOR OF SEEL* M. NAGATOMO, J. ONODA, 1. NAKATANI, K. KURIKI and A. USHIROKAWA Institute of Space and Astronautical Science 4-6-1 Komaba Meguro-ku Tokyo 153, Japan Y. KOBAYASHI University of Tsukuba 1-1-1 Tennodai Sakura Ibaraki 305. Japan Abstract — The Space Flyer Unit (SFU) is a free-flying platform to be carried by the Space Shuttle orbiter. The SFU functions between the experiments on board the platform and the orbiter as a single interface of electrical and mechanical systems. The platform will accommodate experimental instruments in standard payload boxes as well as on the external structure if they are too large to be installed in a box. Experiments in each payload box will be provided with electrical power, telemetry and command service from CDMS of the platform and/or the orbiter or the ground station. An operator on board the orbiter can interact with the experiments via the platform CDMS. The SFU is smaller than the bus platform which is supposed to be used by the Space Energetic and Environmental Laboratory (SEEL), but similar operational capability is expected. Some preliminary experiments for the SEEL will be carried out with a combination of several experimental instruments. For example, the high-voltage solar power test will be used for an electrical propulsion test. Space structure experiment can be applied to the advanced technology development for the SEEL. 1. INTRODUCTION A small space platform, tentatively called the Space Flyer Unit (SFU), was proposed for follow-on missions of the space experiments with particle accelerators (SEPAC), which first flew with the Spacelab Mission One. The SFU is supposed to be an STS payload and can be released from it as a free flyer. This is expected to protect the orbiter from potential hazards caused by electromagnetic phenomena induced by the high-energy particle experiments. The space energetics and environment laboratory (SEEL) is a group of space experiments proposed for a space station mission (1). The SEEL will be carried out with a free-flying bus platform in the later phase of the project. The bus platform is preferred to the main base of the space station by SEEL for the same reason that the SFU was proposed for SEPAC. The SFU is now planned as a multipurpose facility which can be used for space experiments and *Presented at the Fourth ISAS Space Energy Symposium, at ISAS, Tokyo, I March 1985.
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