 TheDestiny Laboratory Module (NASA) being installed on theInternational Space Station. | |
| Module statistics | |
|---|---|
| COSPAR ID | 2001-006B |
| Launch date | 7 February 2001 |
| Launch vehicle | Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-98) |
| Berthed | 10 February 2001 |
| Mass | 14,515 kg (32,000 lb) |
| Length | 8.5 m (28 ft) |
| Diameter | 4.3 m (14 ft) |
| Pressurizedvolume | 104.77 m3 (3,700 cu ft) |
| References:[1] | |
TheDestiny module, also known as theU.S. Lab, is the primary operating facility forU.S. research payloads aboard theInternational Space Station (ISS).[2][3] It was berthed to the forward port of theUnity module and activated over a period of five days in February, 2001.[4]Destiny isNASA's first permanent operating orbital research station sinceSkylab was vacated in February 1974.
TheBoeing Company began construction of the 14,515-kilogram (32,000 lb) research laboratory in 1995 at theMichoud Assembly Facility and then theMarshall Space Flight Center inHuntsville, Alabama.[2]Destiny was shipped to theKennedy Space Center inFlorida in 1998, and was turned over to NASA for pre-launch preparations in August 2000. It launched on February 7, 2001 aboard theSpace Shuttle Atlantis onSTS-98.[4]
Astronauts work inside the pressurized facility to conduct research in numerous scientific fields. Scientists throughout the world would use the results to enhance their studies in medicine, engineering, biotechnology, physics, materials science, and Earth science.[3]
Destiny was launched to ISS aboard theSpace Shuttle missionSTS-98.[4] It launched into Earth orbit on February 7, 2001 aboard theSpace Shuttle Atlantis.[4] On February 10, 2001 at 9:50 am CST, the installation of Destiny began.[5] First, the Shuttle SRMSS (Canadarm) was used to removePressurized Mating Adapter 2 (PMA 2) from Unity node's forward port to make room for the new module. PMA-2 was temporarily stowed on the forward berthing ring of theZ1 truss.Destiny was "grabbed" by the robotic arm at 11:23, lifted out ofAtlantis' cargo bay, and berthed to the forward port ofUnity. Two days later, PMA-2 was moved to its semi-permanent location on the forward port ofDestiny.[6] Several years later, on November 14, 2007, theHarmony module was attached to the forward port of theDestiny laboratory, and PMA 2 was again relocated to the forward port ofHarmony.[7]
The addition ofDestiny increased the habitable volume by 3,800 cubic feet, an increase of 41 percent.[5]
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The U.S. laboratory module is 28 feet (8.5 m) long and 14 feet (4.3 m) wide.[2][3] It is made from aluminum and stainless steel, and comprises three cylindrical sections and two endcones that contain the hatch openings through which astronauts enter and exit the module.[2] The aft port ofDestiny is connected to the forward port ofUnity, and the forward port ofDestiny is connected to the aft port ofHarmony. The ends are colored blue and white respectively for the crew to navigate easily.[7][8] A 20-inch (510 mm)-diameter window is located on one side of the center module segment.[3]
Each of the two berthing ports onDestiny contains a hatch.[3] Both hatches are normally open, and remain open unless a situation arises requiring a module to be isolated. Each hatch has a window. The hatches can be opened or closed from either side. The hatches have a pressure interlock feature, which prevents the hatch from being opened if there is a negative pressure across the hatch (higher pressure on the outside of the hatch). The hatch openings are a square-like six sided shape - which is associated to that module.
Destiny has a 20-inch (510 mm) optically pure, telescope-quality glass window located in an open rack bay used primarily for Earth science observations.[2][3][9] Station crewmembers use very high quality video and still cameras at the window to record Earth's changing landscapes. A window shutter protects the window from potential micrometeoroid and orbital debris strikes during the life of the ISS. The crew manually opens the shutter to use the window.
Imagery captured fromDestiny's window has given geologists and meteorologists the chance to study floods, avalanches, fires and ocean events such as plankton blooms in a way never seen before, as well as given international scientists the opportunity to study features such as glaciers, coral reefs, urban growth and wild fires.[3]
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As with the European and Japanese laboratories of the station, payloads insideDestiny are configured aroundInternational Standard Payload Racks (ISPRs), that can be removed or reconfigured for various experiments and equipment.[9] Made out of a graphite composite shell, each rack weighs about 1,200 pounds (540 kg), and is about 73 inches (1,900 mm) high, and 42 inches (1,100 mm) wide.[9] The eight rack bays are equipped with curtains that provide around 290 cubic feet (8.2 m3) of temporary stowage space when not occupied by experiments.[9]
Destiny arrived at the station pre-configured with five racks housing electrical andlife support systems that provide electrical power, cooling water, air revitalization, and temperature and humidity control. Seven additional racks were flown toDestiny in theLeonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module bySTS-102, and ten more were delivered on subsequent missions.Destiny can hold up to 13 payload racks with experiments in human life science, materials research, Earth observations and commercial applications.[3] The laboratory has a total of 24 racks inside the laboratory, six on each side.[2]
Internal to the laboratory are racks, rack stand-offs, and vestibule jumpers.[10] The lab racks house the system hardware in removable modular units. The stand-offs provide space for electrical connections, data management systems cabling for computers, air conditioning ducts, thermal control tubes and more, all of which support the space station's equipment racks.[10] The racks interface to the piping and wiring in the standoff via outlets and ports located in the standoffs at the base end of each rack location.
Jumpers in the vestibule, the area betweenUnity andDestiny, connect the piping and wiring between the two. Grounding straps betweenUnity andDestiny will be installed. One side of the grounding strap will be connected to the ActiveCommon Berthing Mechanism (ACBM) onUnity, while the other end will be connected to the PassiveCommon Berthing Mechanism (PCBM) onDestiny.
Some of the mechanisms onDestiny are the CBMs (passive and active), hatches, and the laboratory window shutter. The ACBM is in the forward port of the laboratory. It is attached to theHarmony node.[8] The PCBM onDestiny is located in the laboratory's aft port. The ACBM inUnity's forward port is latched to the laboratory's PCBM to berthDestiny toUnity.
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Destiny also contains theMinus Eighty Degree Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI), transported to the Space Station onSTS-121.[11] The freezer is used both to store samples and reagents on the station, and to transport them to and from the space station in a temperature controlled environment.[12]
Currently installed at the main observation window ofDestiny is theAgricultural Camera (AgCam). It is a multi-spectral imaging system built and primarily operated by students and faculty at theUniversity of North Dakota. Its purpose is to take frequent images, in visible and infrared light, of vegetated areas on the Earth and promises to deliver a greater effectiveness for in-season agriculture applications research and operational decision support than current satellite systems such asLandsat.[13]
In 2016 the ISS crew operated Veg-03 experiment.[14] In November they harvested a crop of edible romaine lettuce which contributed to the crew's meal.[15] Also samples of cabbage are returned to Earth for testing as part of the experiment.[14] This uses theVeggie experiment module inDestiny, which can provide light and nutrients for plant growth experiments.[15]
The nadir window is formally known as theU.S. Laboratory Science Window, has the "...highest quality optics ever flown on a human occupied spacecraft...", according to NASA, and can support taking Earth observations/images.[16] In 2010 a research facility was brought to the station, called WORF, and the first photo with it was taken in January 2011.[17] WORF was delivered by ISS Flight 19A (which wasSTS-131) .[17]
In 2010 the WORF was brought to ISS aboard STS-131 and installed.[16] This is a facility that uses theDestiny nadir window to support various types of photography and observation.[16] WORF, which stands for Window Observational Research Facility is constructed based on International Standard Payload Rack (ISPR) and EXPRESS Rack program technology.[16] The first photo taken by WORF was on January 21, 2011 with Ag Cam.[16]
The name WORF is an allusion toWorf, the fictional character of the same name who appeared in thescience fiction television and film franchiseStar Trek. A special mission patch for WORF was issued that featured text written in theKlingon language.[18] Another cross-over of theStar Trek franchise and space exploration was the naming ofSpace ShuttleEnterprise.
A similar window is Nauka module's porthole window.
After its installation, habitation and use ofDestiny is similar to ISS history as an integrated part of that Space station:
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