when man first began to reach for the
stars dreams about space travel usually
included living in space in what is now
called a space station
you
those dreams became reality when after
the successful completion of the Apollo
program the next step chosen for manned
spaceflight was an earth orbiting
workshop known as Skylab
during the Skylab program three
different crews lived and worked in
America's first space station for a
total of 171 days
the knowledge and experience gained from
Skylab provided a foundation for the
design and development of future space
stations
you
skylab taught us that any long-duration
space station will be highly dependent
upon a space transportation system
the reusable space shuttle will continue
to be a key component by providing
frequent access to low-earth orbit
expendable launch vehicles may be used
to carry both supplies and payloads to
the space station
in the 1980's the shuttle expanded our
capabilities to live and work
effectively in the space environment the
next step in space exploration and
utilization Space Station freedom is
currently being developed by the United
States with cooperation from Canada
Europe and Japan as a research
laboratory freedom will increase
scientific knowledge stimulate the
development of new technologies and help
realize the commercial potential of
space
currently advances are being made in
various technologies as we prepare for
life aboard Space Station freedom new
space suit designs robots and a health
maintenance facility are just a few of
the developments underway eventually
Space Station users will want to
increase their capabilities as a result
freedom has been designed for expansion
enhancements may include another
structure a spacecraft servicing
facility and more power in addition to
providing a research facility for the
Advancement of science and technology
freedom will serve as a base for future
exploration in building a lunar base or
traveling to other planets freedom will
provide the departure point necessary to
accomplish those missions Space Station
freedom
an important prerequisite for future
long-term space travel as our dreams of
space exploration continue to become
reality