Shuttle Delivery in 2007 Nearly Doubled International Space Station Volume
The arrival of the Harmony module expanded the orbiting complex from a three-bedroom to a five-bedroom footprint.
By Luis Fernandez ·
The International Space Station grew from the size of a three-bedroom house to the size of a five-bedroom house in a single step on October 23, 2007. The space shuttle Discovery launched from Earth with the Harmony module attached, delivering the piece to the orbiting outpost during the STS-120 mission.
Harmony is a utility hub that measures 14 feet wide and 24 feet long. Its dimensions are roughly equal to the length of a minibus. The module serves as a connecting point for three major international components: the European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory and Japan's Kibo laboratory. It also houses the sleeping quarters for American astronauts.
The installation process required careful maneuvering. Astronauts first attached Harmony temporarily to the station's Unity node. After the Discovery shuttle departed, the crew used the station's robotic arm to move the shuttle docking port out of the way at the Destiny module. This action cleared the path for Harmony to be permanently berthed beside Destiny.
The module was originally known as Node 2. It was the second hub module for the station built by NASA, following Unity, or Node 1. Italy-based Thales Alenia Space constructed the unit for NASA. Harmony carries five common berthing mechanisms that allow other station modules to connect to the structure.
The delivery ended a six-year pause in station expansion. The last new room added to the complex before Harmony was Russia's Pirs docking module, which arrived in 2001 and has since been discarded. Harmony provided the necessary connecting hub for future modules, launching a new phase of growth for the station.
Following its relocation from Unity to the forward port of the Destiny laboratory, Harmony became the central link for international labs. The Columbus lab sits on the starboard side, while the Kibo lab is on the port side. Some ports on Harmony accommodate visiting cargo ships, and a docking port on the roof allows vehicles to park there.
Inside the module, eight payload racks occupy the space. Four of these racks are dedicated to avionics systems. The remaining four are used for storage or crew quarters. NASA selected the name Harmony through a public naming contest held by the agency.
Source: Space.com
