Problem set and solution. Problem statement: The US manned space program is entering an era of mutation, as NASA now has to deal with new challenges, after recent events such as the Columbia tragedy or the symbolical first “taikonaut” in space. It is clear that this New Deal and a revived international cooperation will create opportunities for space agencies to move the frontiers a little farther and extend the presence of man on orbit, possibly on board a new Space Station. You, a recent MIT grad, have been approached by NASA to design the next US Space Station.