Slide 57 of 99
Notes:
Option C was the most controversial alternative since it represented a radical departure from all previous Space Station plans. It featured a single large 28m long, 7m diameter pressurized "can" that would be launched fully outfitted on a new Shuttle derived heavy-lift booster. The cost of the core module was estimated to be $3.19 billion; a total cost of $6.502 billion over five years excluding reserves, operations & the $1 billion Freedom termination cost.
This illustration show the Shuttle, ESA Columbus and Japanese Experiment Modules docked to the Option C Space Station. This design would have given researchers more lab space and power than Freedom, and it could support a permanent crew from the start while requiring less external maintenance by astronauts. It would have included no fewer than 136 experiment racks - nearly three time as many as “Fred” and far more than the Option C solar arrays could support. But its microgravity environment was comparatively poor since the Station would have to rotate to keep its solar panels facing the Sun or else the power will vary. The design made made adding more solar panels very difficult.
Option C international contributions. The Europeans, Japanese & Canadians disliked this option since would have to change the electrical, thermal control and data management systems of their modules - if they could be accomodated at all. The international contributions would also be rendered largely useless (e.g. Canada's robotic arm would also be of little value since little on-orbit assembly would required).
