Time Model of Reduced Microaccelerations and Propellant Usage for an ISS Serviced Free-Flying Experiment Platform

Abstract The space shuttle provides for up to sixteen days in orbit to allow researchers to conduct microgravity research. Although conditions are less desirable during its construction, the International Space Station (ISS) promises to provide at least a thirty-day window of low microaccelerations after its completion. For both the shuttle and the ISS, activities such as orbital maneuvering, reboost, docking and undocking, and crew movement can impact the results of microgravity experimentation. These unwanted accelerations are often measured and reported to investigators to help the account for any unexpected results, but experimental platforms designed to minimize these disturbances are of interest. Research presented in this paper seeks to provide simple models to investigate the amount of microgravity experimentation time that would be available for an ISS serviced free-flying platform with the constraint of available ?V for such platform. The timeline investigated includes the platform berthed at the ISS, separation of the platform from the station to various relative position, degradation of both the station and platform, and rendezvous of platform at the station. Keywords: International Space Station (ISS), Space Shuttle, Microgravity, Perturbations.