Platform Evolution Studies

Abstract

Platform evolution studies have focused on developing two types of platforms: the Geostationary Platform, for use as an observatory in NASA's Mission-to-Planet-Earth (MPE) initiative, and a co-orbiting platform, for use as a branching mechanism for the Space Station Freedom manned base. In 1989, platform evolution efforts also documented existing polar platform scares for servicing and for co-orbiting platform configurations. Shown on this viewgraph are various configurations. An Astrophysics Co-Orbiting Platform was studied during Phase B of the Space Station Program. The Stationkeeping Platform was the subject of a Goddard study. Today we will briefly describe the NASA Polar Platform and discuss the evolutionary configurations for geostationary and co-orbiting platforms. General Electric Astro-Space Division was selected to perform these studies because of its role as designer of the Polar Platform.