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Handover ceremony paves the way for launch of final European ISS modules

21 November 2009

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Europe's Node 3 - dubbed Tranquility - handed over to NASA

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Ownership of ESA's Node 3, Tranquility, the final European-built habitable module for the International Space Station (ISS), was transferred from the European Space Agency to NASA on 20 November 2009. Node 3 will now begin final activities prior to its launch to the ISS on the STS-130 mission in February 2010.

Credits: ESA - S. Corvaja

Cupola to provide stunning view of Earth

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Europe's Cupola is mated to Node-3 and ready for NASA launch

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ESA's Cupola was mated to Node-3 in September 2009, and is now ready for launch. The Cupola observation module, which was shipped to the Kennedy Space Center in 2004, and whose ownership was transferred to NASA in 2005, will provide an unprecedented capability for external ISS operations as a command tower for robotic operations as well as a stunning view of Earth for the ISS Expedition crews on board the orbiting ISS.

Credits: ESA - S. Corvaja

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ESA's Node 3 ready for launch to the ISS

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Node 3 consists of a pressurised cylindrical hull 4.5 m in diameter with a shallow conical section enclosing each end. It is almost 7 m long and will weigh together with the Cupola over 13.5 tonnes at launch. The pressurised shell of Node 3 is constructed from aluminium alloys. This is covered with a multi-layer insulation blanket for thermal stability and around 75 sections of panelling to act as a protective shield against bombardment from space debris. This panelling is also constructed of an aluminium alloy together with a layer of Kevlar and Nextel. Internal and external secondary structures are used to support the installation of equipment, piping and electrical harnesses. Two water loops (respectively low-temperature and moderate-temperature loops) allow the rejection of the heat generated inside the element to the ISS ammonia lines by means of two heat exchangers mounted on the external side of one end cone.

Credits: ESA - S. Corvaja

OasISS mission

Node 3 & Cupola Infokit (PDF)

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