Space Station evolution

Abstract

The Space Station that will be launched and made operational in the early 1990s should be viewed as a beginning, a facility that will evolve with the passing of time to better meet the needs and requirements of a diverse set of users. Evolution takes several forms, ranging from simple growth through addition of infrastructure elements to upgrading of system capability through inclusion of advanced technologies. Much of the early considerations of Space Station evolution focused on physical growth. However, a series of recent workshops have revealed that the more likely mode of Space Station evolution will not be through growth but rather through a process known as 'branching'.