Interim control module

ISS Interim Control Module

The Interim Control Module ( ICM ) was a module designed by NASA to serve as a temporary drive for the International Space Station in the event that the Zvezda module's launch was significantly delayed or it was destroyed during launch. It was created from a titanium upper stage rocket, which was used to position reconnaissance satellites in different orbits. The ICM could have extended the service life of the Sarja module by providing it with equivalent drive options, even if it had no life support systems.

In 1997, NASA commissioned the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) to investigate whether an existing space system could be adapted to provide a low-cost backup propulsion system for the International Space Station. In order to meet NASA's tight schedule, NRL was ultimately commissioned to begin building the ICM. From the beginning, the ICM was intended as a stopgap solution for the ISS's attitude control and orbit correction maneuvers, which would allow NASA to adhere to the schedule for the assembly of the ISS even if the launch of Zvezda was delayed.

The ICM was to start on board a space shuttle and be coupled to the Russian module Zarya. The ICM would have contained enough fuel to operate for one to three years.

Currently, the ICM is in a standby state in the NRL's Payload Processing Facility in Washington, DC in case it is needed for future ISS missions. The NRL is also examining alternative uses for the ICM.

In particular, SpaceX is also investigating the launch of the ICM with a Falcon 9 rocket as a potential solution for the ISS after the shutdown of the shuttle fleet.