MINI PRESSURIZED LOGISTICS MODULE (MPLM)

The MPLM Program was initiated through a Memorandum of Understanding ( MOU) between the United States' National Aeronautics and Space Adminis tration (NASA) and Italy's ASI, the Italian Space Agency, that was sig ned on 6 December 1991. The MPLM is a pressurized logistics module tha t will be used to transport supplies and materials (up to 20,000 lb), including user experiments, between Earth and International Space Stat ion Alpha (ISSA) using the Shuttle, to support active and passive stor age, and to provide a habitable environment for two people when docked to the Station. The Italian Space Agency has selected Alenia Spazio t o develop MPLM modules that have always been considered a key element for the new International Space Station taking benefit from its design flexibility and consequent possible cost saving based on the maximum utilization of the Shuttle launch capability for any mission. In the f rame of the very recent agreement between the U.S. and Russia for coop eration in space, that foresees the utilization of MIR 1 hardware, the Italian MPLM will remain an important element of the logistics system , being the only pressurized module designed for re-entry. Within the new scenario of anticipated Shuttle flights to MIR 1 during Space Stat ion phase 1, MPLM remains a candidate for one or more missions to prov ide MIR 1 resupply capabilities and advanced ISSA hardware/procedures verification.Based on the concept of Flexible Carriers, Alenia Spazio is providing NASA with three MPLM flight units that can be configured according to the requirements of the Human-Tended Capability (HTC) and Permanent Human Capability (PHC) of the Space Station. Configurabilit y will allow transportation of passive cargo only, or a combination of passive and cold cargo accommodated in R/F racks. Having developed an d qualified the baseline configuration with respect to the worst envel oping condition, each unit could be easily configured to the passive o r active version depending upon the ISSA logistics requirements and th eir optimized fulfillment. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd