Crew Compartment
The crew compartment is made of welded aluminum to make a pressure-tight vessel. It must hold pressure to maintain an artificial atmosphere for the human crew. The compartment has three levels: an upper flight deck, a middeck and an aft flight deck. A hatch from the airlock into the payload bay allows the crew access to the outside of the vehicle. The compartment supports the environmental control and life support system and has the flight decks and the crew accommodations for sleeping, waste management (bathroom), and galley (kitchen).
The compartment will hold a crew of four on the flight deck and three in the middeck. The crew compartment is pressurized to 14.7 psia and is maintained at an 80-percent nitrogen and 20-percent oxygen composition to provide a shirt-sleeve environment for the flight crew.
This image is an artist's drawing of a cut away view of the orbiter showing the crew
compartment and payload bay. The flight deck is the uppermost compartment of the cabin.
The commander's and pilot's work stations are positioned side by side in the forward portion of the flight deck. These stations have controls and displays for maintaining control of the vehicle throughout all mission phases.
The middeck of the orbiter is equipped with facilities for food stowage, preparation, and eating. The types of food include fresh and dried food and beverages. To add water to a dried food, a prepackaged food container is inserted into the rehydration station and a needle dispenses the right amount of water into the container.
The rehydrated food is then mixed and heated, if required. Velcro on the bottom of food trays allows them to be attached to the front of the middeck lockers or the galley door for food preparation and/or eating. The straps will also hold the trays on the crew member's leg for eating. Two cutouts on the tray hold food pouches and cans to the tray. Magnetic strips hold eating utensils and binder clips retain such things as wipes to the tray.
Sleeping provisions can consist of a mix of sleeping bags with sleep restraints and rigid sleep stations in the middeck of the crew cabin. Each sleeping bag contains a support pad with restraining straps and a pillow and head restraint. If rigid sleep stations are used, a cotton sleeping bag is installed on the ground in each tier and held in place by six spring clips. Each astronaut has a sleep kit containing eye covers and ear plugs. If all crew members sleep at the same time, at least one crew member will wear a communication headset to receive ground calls and to hear warning alarms.
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