International Lunar Research Station
Built cooperatively by NASA, ROSCOSMOS, ESA, CSA, ISRO, JAXA, and AECS, the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) was a modular space station in orbit around Luna during the early 21st century CE, and served as the base structure for the Deep Space Gateway.
Purpose / Function
The International Lunar Research Station was initially intended to be a scientific laboratory and observatory in Lunar orbit, as well as providing an orbital base station for Lunar surface excursions. The station was also of diplomatic and educational significance due to its unique position in the universe relative to the rest of humanity at the time of its construction. Shortly after its completion, the station served as the base structure for the Deep Space Gateway.
Architecture
The ILRS, like its cousin the ISS, was a third generation eumodular orbital station, with partial asymmetry due to the fluid mission parameters and objectives. The station was thoroughly equipped with interlinked RCS to maintain or change orientation and orbital vector.
At the center of the station was the core truss, which provides support for both the main pressurized structure and the DSG shuttle slingshot at zenith. The pressurized structure was a long chain of interlocked modules: the laboratories and habitation modules were clustered toward the center, with the secondary (short-range) shuttle ports and exterior airlocks further out towards the radiator sections of the core truss. At nadir, below the core nexus and in opposition to the slingshot at zenith, was the cargo bay, complete with the main docking port for BIFROST docking.
History
In 2002 CE, the core reactor block of the ILRS was delivered in Lunar orbit by one of the SLS missions as part of the first Constellation program. Built cooperatively by NASA, ROSCOSMOS, ESA, ISRO, and JAXA, the ILRS was completed in 2008 CE, though it received its maiden crew much earlier than that in 2004. After the United Nations Aerospace Coalition took over responsibility for the station in early 2010, preparation began to expand the station into a support platform for both the lunar surface base and deep space missions like the Ares and Aeolus programs, which culminated in the addition of the Deep Space Gateway in 2010 - 2015. When large-scale lunar habitation was brought to the UNAC's attention, the ILRS was once again expanded considerably to support this intensive endeavour and was rechristened Tsukuyomi.
Crew Manifest (Maiden Expedition)
- Cmdr. Aleksandr Kaleri (ROSCOSMOS, Russia)
- Peggy Whitman (NASA, United States of America)
- Norishige Kanai (JAXA, Japan)
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