Sunday, February 24, 2008

NASA International Space Station "Harmony" Module Built in Italy

The ANNOTICO Report

 

Space Shuttle Mission STS-120 successful launch on Oct. 23, 2007,and landing on Nov. 7 concluded a 15 day mission.  After traveling 6.25 million miles on 238 orbits of the Earth, they were home. 

 

The primary payload carried aboard Discovery was the Italian-built U.S. "Harmony" module, was formerly known simply as Node 2,  This pressurized module is key to the following three shuttle flights set to carry the European Columbus lab and the two pressurized Japanese Kibo modules. "Harmony" provides the connecting point between these modules and the U.S. Destiny laboratory already in place, forming an international crossroads in space. 

Under contract of the Italian Space Agency, Alenia Spazio in Turin, Italy, led a consortium of European sub-contractors to build the node. 

It was built for NASA under a barter agreement with the European Space Agency in exchange for the launch of the European Columbus Laboratory by the space shuttle to the International Space Station.

"Harmony" Physical Description: The aluminum node is 7.2 meters (23.6 feet) long and 4.4 meters (14.5 feet) in diameter. Its pressurized volume is 75.5 cubic meters (2666 cubic feet), and its launch weight is approximately 14,288 kilograms (31,500 pounds)....

Space Shuttle Mission STS-120

 

Space Shuttle Mission STS-120 successful launch on Oct. 23, 2007,and landing on Nov. 7 concluded a 15 day mission.  After traveling 6.25 million miles on 238 orbits of the Earth, they were home.  The primary payload carried aboard Discovery was the Italian-built U.S. "Harmony" module. This pressurized module is key to the following three shuttle flights set to carry the European Columbus lab and the two pressurized Japanese Kibo modules. "Harmony" provides the connecting point between these modules and the U.S. Destiny laboratory already in place, forming an international crossroads in space. 

After liftoff, he orbiter chased the International Space Station until the rendezvous on the third day of the mission.

With the shuttle safely docked to the station, the hatches were opened and one of the first orders of business was a crew member swap, with Dan Tani joining the station crew in exchange for Clayton Anderson, who would return to Earth aboard Discovery after a five-month stint at the station.

European Space Agency astronaut Paulo Nespoli acted as spacewalk coordinator as Stephanie Wilson, Dan Tani and Anderson worked from inside using the station's robotic arm to remove Harmony from Discovery's payload bay and bring it into position beside the Unity module.

The following day was the "grand opening" of Harmony, which was named by schoolchildren. The module added 2,666 cubic feet of additional volume to the station, increasing the living space by nearly 20 percent. After Discovery's departure, the station crew will relocate Harmony to its permanent location at the end of the U.S. Destiny lab.

In the ensuing three days, spacewalk repair plans were prepared round the clock on the ground while the astronauts prepared tools and repair materials in space. Using strips of aluminum, a hole punch, a b olt connector and 66 feet of wire, the crew constructed hinge stabilizers that would take the pressure off the damaged hinges on the solar array. They insulated tools with tape to protect against electrical currents produced by the array. .

Gaining experience during missions like STS-120 is key as NASA makes plans to return to the moon and travel on to Mars.

 

"Harmony" - Node 2

 

The installation of NASA's Harmony Node increases the living and working space inside the station to approximately 500 cubic meters (18,000 cubic feet). It also allows the addition of international laboratories from Europe and Japan to the station....

Harmony provides a passageway between three station science experiment facilities: the U.S. Destiny Laboratory, the Kibo Japanese Experiment Module, and the European Columbus Laboratory.

It also provides connecting ports for Multi-Purpose Logistics Modules, the Japanese H II Transfer Vehicle and the Pressurized Mating Adapter 2 to which space shuttles dock. The Space Station Robotic Arm, Canadarm2, can operate from a powered grapple fixture on the exterior of Node 2.

Under contract of the Italian Space Agency, Alenia Spazio in Turin, Italy, led a consortium of European sub-contractors to build the node. 

It was built for NASA un der a barter agreement with the European Space Agency in exchange for the launch of the European Columbus Laboratory by the space shuttle to the International Space Station.

Physical Description: The aluminum node is 7.2 meters (23.6 feet) long and 4.4 meters (14.5 feet) in diameter. Its pressurized volume is 75.5 cubic meters (2666 cubic feet), and its launch weight is approximately 14,288 kilograms (31,500 pounds)....

 

The ANNOTICO Reports Can be Viewed (and are Archived) on:

Italia USA: http://www.ItaliaUSA.com [Formerly Italy at St Louis] (7 years)

Italia Mia: http://www.ItaliaMia.com (3 years)

Annotico Email: annotico@earthlink.net