U.S. Harmony Module

The Harmony module, a pressurized unit attached to a section of the International Space Station (ISS), connects Europe's Columbus module and Japan's Kibo lab. As a key component for future ISS growth, Harmony increases the work and living area available on ISS and also provides extra docking stations for the shuttle and cargo nodes. Harmony is the first major addition to the ISS since 2001.
 

The Naming of Node 2
Harmony began with the name "Node 2." For the first time in ISS history, NASA sent the naming challenge outside its ranks and solicited competition from schoolchildren across the nation. More than 2,200 kids in a host of classrooms from kindergarten through high school entered, learning about the space station and building replicas as part of the entry requirements.

A special panel of individuals from NASA selected "Harmony." They felt it depicted the true purpose of the module, which is to act as a universal connector for hubs from other countries. Six classes from five states submitted the winning name.

Development of Harmony

Harmony is critical to the growth of the ISS. Along with serving as a workspace, Harmony also acts as a utility port for various life support systems, including the air, power and water systems. These vital resources channel from a truss into the Destiny lab. On its exterior, Harmony has the new platform for Canadarm2, the station's robotic arm.

Additionally, Harmony has docking ports for the Japanese HII transfer vehicle and the space shuttle. Other connecting ports are for Multi-Purpose Logistics Modules (MPLM).

Thales Alenia Space, an Italy-based company, built Harmony in Turin. The process took more than 10 years, and Boeing supplied many of the module components. The European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA agreed that the United States would take ownership of it upon completion. ASI, the Italian Space Agency, provided developmental oversight, basing Harmony's design on the Columbus lab and the MPLM. On June 1, 2003, Harmony arrived at the Kennedy Space Center aboard an Airbus Beluga.

In the four years prior to launch, crews worked to prepare Harmony for both the space flight and its temporary and permanent attachment. The shuttle on which it would ride would first have to dock in Harmony's permanent home. In the interim, space station and shuttle astronauts would have to attach the new module temporarily and still be able to gain access.
 

Harmony Module Specifications
Many compare Harmony's size to that of a school bus because it has:

  • a diameter of 14.5 feet
  • a length of 23.6 feet
  • a volume of 2,666 cubic feet (approx.)
  • a weight of 31,500 pounds.

Harmony's interior space also includes storage racks, smoke detectors and air diffusers. Its berthing components will improve the ability for pressurized nodes to easily dock.

Delivering Harmony to the ISS

On Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2007, the shuttle Discovery (flight STS-120) launched safely with Harmony aboard. Commander Pamela Melroy led the crew that included ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli.

ISS members used the Space Station Remote Manipulator System to offload Harmony from the shuttle's payload bay. A temporary attachment to the Unity node was successful during a six-and-a-half hour spacewalk performed by astronauts Scott Parazynski and Douglas Wheelock of the Discovery crew on Oct. 26.

On Oct. 27, Peggy Whitson, Expedition 16 commander, and Nespoli stepped through the hatch. Further space walks, including those by shuttle astronauts, continued in the preparation for moving and setting up Harmony.

Harmony's Permanent Position

The Expedition 16 team was responsible for Harmony's permanent relocation once the shuttle departed. The original plan stated that astronauts weren't to enter Harmony until it was secured in its permanent location. However, the station members determined that working from inside would allow them to make preliminary hookups in advance of the final move.

By Nov. 12, the Pressurized Mating Adapter was in place from its original position on the Destiny lab. Astronauts, including station commander Peggy Whitson and flight engineer Dan Tani, scheduled spacewalks to connect coolant lines and power cables in preparation for the imminent docking of Columbus.

The Harmony module is the component that will become the final hub in completion of the International Space Station. With the Columbus in place at starboard and the Kibo lab installed port side, the ISS assembly will be complete. Harmony is also the conclusion of the "U.S. Core" of the ISS, which includes:
  • Destiny lab
  • Quest airlock
  • Unity module (node 1).
With the lab attachments from Europe and Japan, the space station will be able to further its exploration studies and knowledge bases. Ultimately, it will also aid the United States in its quest to reach Mars.
 
Resources
 
Aerospaceguide.net (2007). Harmony Module. Retrieved February 7, 2008, from the Aerospaceguide.net Web site.
 
Esa.com (2007). Astronauts enter Harmony for first time. Retrieved February 7, 2008, from the European Space Agency Web site.