Shuttle and ISS
The Columbia accident has caused the International Space Station program to deal with space logistics issues in a way they never anticipated. The lack of Shuttle re-supply has resulted in a "thin" supply chain to the Station. The lessons learned from dealing with thin logistics will contribute to interplanetary supply chain management, and in particular, to Constellation logistics.
Links
The following documents and links provide some current insight into the need for improved space logistics.
- NASA's Implementation Plan for International Space Station Continuing Flight, Vol 2, January 30, 2004.
- Report of the President's Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy, 2004.
- MichaelD. Griffin, "NASA and the Business of Space", American Astronautical Society 52nd Annual Conference, 15 November 2005.
- Exploration Systems Architecture Study (ESAS) Final Report – November 2005, Chapter 12, Cost.
- Multi-Purpose Logistics Module NASA website.
