Research Double Module Explained

The Research Double Module was a payload module built by Spacehab Inc (now Astrotech Corporation) for the US Space Shuttle Orbiters.

The Research Double Module flew only on the ill-fated Space Shuttle Columbia STS-107 mission, in which it was destroyed.

Research Double Module

The Spacehab hardware was specifically designed to be nestled inside the cargo bay of the Space Shuttles.

The inaugural flight of Spacehab's research double module, which launched January 2003 on STS-107, ended when the Space Shuttle Columbia broke up during re-entry. In February 2003 Spacehab received $17.7 million from its commercial insurance policy. In January 2004, Spacehab filed a formal claim against NASA for the amount of $87.7 million for the loss caused by the Columbia accident and in October 2004 NASA paid the company $8.2 million.^[1] In February 2007, Spacehab dropped all litigation against NASA.

See also

• Spacehab
• Other Spacehab hardware :
  • Integrated Cargo Carrier (ICC), unpressurized
  • External Stowage Platform (ESP-2 and ESP-3), an ICC variant
  • Logistics Single Module (LSM) and Logistics Double Module (LDM)
  • Single Module (SM), pressurized
• Spacelab, another reusable laboratory flown in the Shuttle orbiter's cargo bay.

Notes and References

1. Two Spacehab press releases from January 2004 and 2005 regarding the claims filed against NASA for STS-107 http://www.spacehab.com/news/2004/04_01_20.htmhttp://www.spacehab.com/news/2005/05_01_05.htm