Modal Analysis and Correlation of International Space Station Early Configurations

This paper will summarize the modal analysis and model refinement results for the International Space Station (ISS) Flight-2A mated configuration. To maintain structural integrity of the ISS, structural loading distributions have been rigorously analyzed through numerical simulation and taken into account during the design of the structure and mission operations. The accuracy of the analysis results is directly affected by the precision of mathematical models and estimated input forces. A mathematical model of an ISS configuration is composed of individual component math models. Each component model is required to be correlated with ground test data.