SPACEHAB Payload & Cargo Integration
To complement our family of research and logistics carriers, SPACEHAB Transportation, Inc. (STI) also provides third party end-to-end integration services for the transport of customer payloads to and from low Earth orbit. Preparing a science experiment or cargo element for flight in space can seem like an overwhelming task — from hardware selection and safety certification to crew training and operational considerations — STI's payload experts, along with proven and simplified processes, lead STI customers from experiment design and integration through launch, on-orbit operation, and return. Our team provides customer-friendly services that are tailored to client needs, be they operationally simple or technically complex:
- Single Interface: One point-of-contact for an easy and complete integration process
- Commercial Contracting: Fixed price contracts with clear statement of work
- Detailed Schedule: Complete mission integration schedules are available at any time for customer use
- Streamlined Documentation: Information is reused from previous missions if applicable
- Flexible Approach: Flight-ready payloads have been added as late as 45 days before launch
- Late/Early Access: Significant experiment late access and early retrieval capability
- Launch Pad Installation: Late module turnover to NASA allows more time with experiment hardware
- Mission Operations: Customer access to payload control center provides real-time data downlink, control over anomalies, and contact with NASA control teams
- Quick Turnaround: Short mission cycle supports commercial experiments
- Rapid Reflight: Customer-requested reflight of payloads (utilizing same hardware) can start as late as L-8 months
SPACEHAB has designed, continuously refines, and strictly follows a flight-proven integration and timeline template. We are able to achieve these successes by dividing the complex integration process into five interrelated activities: Payload Analytical Integration, Mission Analytical Integration, Mission Training, Hardware Physical Integration, and Mission Operations. These activities are actually the "products" supplied to our customers by our knowledgeable team.