In this historical photo from the U.S. space agency, a 1977 concept drawing for a space station.
Known as the "spider" concept, this station was designed to use Space Shuttle hardware. A solar array was to be unwound from the exhausted main fuel tank.
[Far Out Space Station Concepts by NASA (Gallery )]
The structure could then be formed and assembled in one operation. The main engine tank would then be used as a space operations control center, a Shuttle astronaut crew habitat, and a space operations focal point for missions to the Moon and Mars.
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