Tranquility (ISS module)
List of ISS modules
Tranquility, formerly Node 3, according to Unity (Node 1) and Harmony (Node 2) the third connecting module of the International Space Station ( ISS). It was launched on 8 February 2010, together with the Cupola observation tower on the shuttle flight STS -130 to the ISS. There it was compared to the exit module Quest coupled to the left side of the connection module Unity.
Function
Tranquility contains the most advanced life-support systems that have ever flown in space. They are used for a process the effluent, which are used for the crew and the production of oxygen. Also includes systems for restoring the atmosphere for filtering foreign matter from the air, and to control the composition of the atmosphere to the module. Also, the waste and hygiene departments of the crew on board are mounted. Tranquility eventually also provides space for power, data, command, temperature and environmental controls.
The dimensions of the module are:
On one of the coupling piece of the tranquility module, the Cupola module is docked, can be controlled by the robot arm from the Canadarm by an astronaut to another one of the coupling adapter PMA 3rd Tranquility continues redundant docking bays for cargo spacecraft HTV, Dragon and Cygnus ready. During the deployment of the space shuttle here the MPLM modules were docked.
The module is part of the American part of the station and was developed by Alenia Spazio in Italy built for the European Space Agency ( ESA), which in return will receive transportation services to the NASA space shuttle. On 16 May 2009, the official adoption of the module took place in Turin. Tranquility finally reached on 20 May with an Airbus Beluga the Kennedy Space Center.
Naming
NASA had to 20 March 2009 vote in an Internet survey on the name of the module, which was then still called "Node 3". Everyone could participate in it. At the end of the name Serenity got ( " cheerfulness ", " serenity " ) with 70% the most votes from the NASA proposals, while the new proposals Colbert led with 230,539 votes after the American comedian Stephen Colbert had called to vote. In absolute terms, this proposal was thus still about 40,000 votes ahead of Serenity. NASA, the right to final naming reserved the right, however, and decided against Colbert and Serenity. On April 15, 2009, astronaut Sunita Williams was in Colbert's TV show Colbert Report the name Tranquility ( "rest" ) as the new name of the module known. The decision should be the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing honor, which took place in the Sea of Tranquility.