Harmony (ISS module)
Template:Short description Template:Italic title Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox space station module
Harmony, also known as Node 2, is a module of the International Space Station (ISS) that serves as its "utility hub". It connects the laboratory modules of the United States, Europe and Japan, while also providing electrical power and data. The module also has sleeping cabins for four astronauts.<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref>
Harmony has six Common Berthing Mechanism (CBM) ports. It is attached to Destiny at its aft port, with Columbus to starboard and Kibō to port. Its forward and zenith ports are each equipped with a Pressurized Mating Adapter (PMA) and International Docking Adapter (IDA) for docking visiting spacecraft. The nadir CBM, the only one without permanently mounted equipment, is typically used for berthing cargo spacecraft.
Harmony was launched aboard STS-120 on October 23, 2007.<ref name="launch">Template:Cite web Template:PD-notice</ref><ref name="lat">Template:Cite news</ref> It was first attached temporarily to the port side of the Unity module<ref name="harmmate">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="room">Template:Cite news</ref> before being moved to its permanent location on the forward end of Destiny on November 14, 2007.<ref name="pma3">Template:Cite web Template:PD-notice</ref> The module added Template:Cvt of habitable volume to the station, increasing its living space by nearly 20%, from Template:Cvt.
Origin of name
The unit formerly known as Node 2 was renamed Harmony in March 2004.<ref name="harm">Template:Cite web Template:PD-notice</ref> The name was chosen in a competition where more than 2,200 students from 32 states participated.<ref name="esa1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="name1">Template:Cite web</ref> The Node 2 Challenge required students to learn about the space station, build a scale model, and write an essay explaining their proposed name for the module, which will serve as a central hub for science labs. The six winning classes were: Paul Cummins' 8th grade class at Browne Academy, Alexandria, Va.; Mrs.Sue Wilson's 3rd grade class at Buchanan Elementary School, Baton Rouge, La.; Brigette Berry's 8th grade class at League City Intermediate School, League City, Texas; Bradley Neu's 9th grade science class at Lubbock High School, Lubbock, Texas; Russell Yocum 's 3rd grade class at West Navarre Intermediate School, Navarre, Fla.; and, David Dexheimer's students at the World Group Home School, Monona, Wisconsin.<ref name="Harmony-NASA">Template:Cite web</ref>
Specifications
Harmony is the second of three node modules on the United States Orbital Segment (USOS).<ref name="ESA1">Template:Cite web</ref> It is composed of a cylindrical, Template:Cvt thick 2219-T851 aluminium alloy pressure shell with two endcones and is thermally insulated by a goldised Kapton blanket. It is protected from micrometeoroids by 98 panels, each made from a composite sandwich of stainless steel and 6061-T6 aluminium alloy, and a secondary barrier of Kevlar/resin.<ref>Template:Cite web Template:PD-notice</ref><ref name="ESA_factsheet">Template:Cite web</ref> The design is based on the existing Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, as well as the European Space Agency's Columbus module (both of which have only one passive Common Berthing Mechanism [CBM]).<ref name="ESA1" /> There are six CBMs on Harmony: the aft CBM that connects it to Destiny is passive; the rest are active.<ref name=her>Template:Cite web Template:PD-notice</ref>
Harmony is managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Its deployment expanded the Space Station, allowing it to grow from the size of a three-bedroom house, to the space equivalent of a typical five-bedroom house, once the Japanese Kibō and European Columbus laboratories are attached. The Space Station robotic arm, Canadarm2, is able to operate from a powered grapple fixture on the exterior of Harmony.<ref name="NASA">Template:Cite web Template:PD-notice</ref> Harmony is equipped with eight International Standard Payload Racks: four avionics racks and four for stowage or crew quarters.<ref name="ESA_factsheet" /> The first two were delivered on STS-126 and the second two on STS-128.<ref>Template:Cite web Template:PD-notice</ref><ref>Template:Cite web Template:PD-notice</ref> After the cancellation of the Habitation Module, Harmony was chosen to house the American Crew Quarters.<ref>Template:Cite web Template:PD-notice</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Construction agreement
Harmony was built within the ESA–NASA ISS bartering system. Under this arrangement, the European Space Agency (ESA) agreed to provide NASA with the fully integrated Harmony and Tranquility node modules, along with additional equipment and parts, in exchange for the launch of ESA's Columbus module and its initial payload aboard the Space Shuttle. This barter allowed ESA to secure launch services without a direct financial transaction, and enabling those funds to remain within ESA member states.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
To build the nodes, ESA partnered with the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and Thales Alenia Space, which manufactured them at its facility in Turin, Italy.<ref name="NASA" />
Harmony arrived at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 1, 2003, after being transported aboard an Airbus Beluga oversize cargo aircraft. Following a post-transportation inspection, the ASI formally handed over Harmony to the ESA. ESA then transferred ownership to NASA on June 18, 2003, during a ceremony at the Space Station Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center.<ref name="esa2">Template:Cite web</ref>
Launch and installation
Harmony was launched on October 23, 2007, aboard Template:OV during mission STS-120, as the primary component of assembly mission ISS-10A.<ref name="STS1202">Template:Cite web Template:PD-notice</ref><ref name="harmony22">Template:Cite web Template:PD-notice</ref><ref name="manifest2">Template:Cite web Template:PD-notice</ref> Discovery docked at Pressurized Mating Adapter-2 (PMA-2) on the forward port of the Destiny laboratory module on October 25. The next day, the station's Canadarm2 removed Harmony from Discovery's cargo bay and temporarily attached it to the port side of the Unity node. On October 27, the crew entered Harmony for the first time.<ref name="harmmate2">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="entered2">Template:Cite web</ref>
After the shuttle's departure, the Expedition 16 crew used the Canadarm2 to relocate PMA-2 from Destiny's forward port to Harmony's forward port on November 12. Two days later, on November 14, Harmony, with PMA-2 attached, was berthed at its final position on the forward port of Destiny.<ref name="pma3" /> This process spanned several days and required three spacewalks.<ref name="entered2" /><ref name="VARA2">Template:Cite web</ref>
Connecting modules and visiting vehicles
After Harmony's final installation, all subsequent Space Shuttle missions docked at PMA-2 on its forward port. Since the Shuttle's retirement, this port has remained the primary docking location for visiting Dragon and Starliner spacecraft.
On February 11, 2008, ESA's Columbus laboratory module was attached to Harmony's starboard port during the STS-122 mission flown by Template:OV.
On March 14, 2008, the Experiment Logistics Module Pressurized Section (ELM-PS), part of the future Kibō laboratory module, was temporarily attached to Harmony's zenith (space-facing) port during mission STS-123 aboard Template:OV.
On June 3, 2008, the Kibō laboratory module was installed on Harmony's port side during mission STS-124 aboard Discovery. Three days later, on June 6, the ELM-PS was relocated from Harmony's zenith port to its permanent position on Kibō's zenith port.
When the Shuttle delivered Multi-Purpose Logistics Modules, they were temporarily berthed to Harmony's nadir (Earth-facing) port.<ref name="src">Template:Cite web</ref> The same port has also been used for cargo spacecraft including the Japanese HTV and American Dragon and Cygnus.
Harmony's zenith port was originally intended for the Centrifuge Accommodations Module, which was later canceled. On January 25, 2010, PMA-3 was moved from Unity's port berthing mechanism to Harmony's zenith mechanism for temporary storage during the installation of the Tranquility node module on mission STS-130. On February 16, 2010, PMA-3 was relocated to Tranquility's port side.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was ultimately returned to Harmony's zenith port on March 26, 2017, where it now serves as a secondary docking port for visiting Dragon and Starliner spacecraft.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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Space Shuttle docked to Harmony forward
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MPLM berthed to Harmony nadir
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HTV being berthed to Harmony nadir
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Dragon being berthed to Harmony nadir
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Cygnus being unberthed from Harmony nadir
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Canadarm2 moving the Harmony module
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Starliner and Dragon crew vehicles docked to forward and zenith ports of Harmony
References
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