Harmony (ISS module)
Harmony, also known as Node 2, is the "utility hub" of the International Space Station. The hub contains four racks that provide electrical power, plus electronic data, and act as a central connecting point for several other components via its six Common Berthing Mechanisms (CBMs). Harmony added 2,666 cubic feet (75.5 m3) to the station's living volume, an increase of almost 20 percent, from 15,000 cu ft (420 m3) to 17,666 cu ft (500.2 m3) The successful installation of Harmony meant that from NASA's perspective, the station was "U.S. Core Complete". Harmony was successfully launched into space aboard Space Shuttle flight STS-120 on October 23, 2007. After temporarily being attached to the port side of the Unity node, it was moved to its permanent location on the forward end of the Destiny laboratory on November 14, 2007.
The unit formerly known as Node 2 was renamed Harmony in March 2007. The name was chosen from a competition involving more than 2,200 kindergarten through high school students from 32 US states. 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.
Weighing approximately 14,288 kilograms (31,500 lb), Harmony is the second of three node module on USOS. The design is based on the existing Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, as well as the European Space Agency's Columbus Module. There are six Common Berthing Mechanisms (CBMs) on Harmony, the one that connects it to Destiny is passive, the rest are active.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 fixture on the exterior of Harmony. After the cancellation of the Habitation Module, Harmony was chosen to house the American Crew Quarters. The first two were delivered on STS-126 and the second two on STS-128.
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