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Node 3 and Cupola Reach the International Space Station

On February 17, 2010, ALTEC organized a meeting at their Turin establishment with local space sector celebrities, civil authorities, specialist journalists and workers with their families. The scope of the event was to watch - in real time from Cape Canaveral - the launch of shuttle “Endeavour” carrying two important products of the Turin plant of Thales Alenia Space, destined for the International Space Station: Node 3 - named “Tranquillity” by NASA - and the Cupola.

Unfortunately, due to bad weather, the departure of Mission STS-130 – from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39A - had to be rescheduled for 24 hours later, when it had a spectacular early morning launch. Commander George Zamka (who visited Altec in 2007) led the STS-130 mission to the International Space Station aboard space shuttle Endeavour. The pilot was Terry Virts Jr. (first time in space). Mission specialists were Nicholas Patrick, Robert Behnken, Stephen Robinson and Kathryn Hire.

The main task of the mission, one of the most flawless ever effected, was to insert in the ISS the Node 3 “Tranquillity” and the “Cupola”, both realized on behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA). During the operation, three spacewalks were performed, with extensive use of the Canadian-built robotic arm.

First, Node 3 “Tranquillity” was removed from the shuttle cargo bay and placed in its definitive position “under” the ISS. Then, in the grasp of the CanadArm2, the Cupola was relocated from the forward port to the Earth-facing port of the just installed Tranquility node. The Cupola – nick-named the “Room with a View” by the astronauts - is a robotic control station with one central and six peripheral windows providing a panoramic view of Earth, celestial objects and visiting spacecraft. The psychological value of the Cupola will be significant for the crew on board, until now visually limited to the claustrophobic interior of the Space Station.

The installation of the two new elements mark - for the moment - the completion of the non-Russian part of the ISS, with more than a third of the pressurised Station elements designed and built by Thales Alenia Space in Turin.

This space mission took place only few days after President Obama announced his intention to cancel the Constellation programme, thus preventing - from 2011 on - independent access to space for US astronauts. The decision also appears to put “Return to the Moon” and US-led manned missions to Mars in jeopardy in a long-term perspective.

The mood of the space community was also darkened by the awareness that the Shuttle fleet has only four more missions to go, and that as of September 2010, the Space Shuttles will be heading for a well-deserved rest in various Aerospace Museums across the USA.

And yet the speeches by the ALTEC and ASI (the Italian Space Agency) Directors, during the “no-launch” ceremony, were prudently encouraging with regard to the future of the Turin’s TAS plant which, up until now, has been heavily involved with work on the ISS modules. It is envisaged that the operational life of the Space Station will be extended well beyond the current 2015 limit. The recent agreement with Orbital Sciences Corporation to manufacture Cygnus - a new, expendable, one-way ISS resupply spacecraft - confirms the company’s focus on securing commercial contracts.

The other big problem of the post-shuttle era will be the reduced capability of bringing back materials and personnel after orbital activity in the ISS. With this in mind, Thales Alenia Space has two projects under way: the Expert re-entry vehicle and the IXV (Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle), the latter under the banner of the European Space Agency.

“Our company, and indeed the entire European space industry, are extremely proud of this new launch.” declared Luigi Pasquali, Chairman and CEO of Thales Alenia Space Italy, “It provides still further evidence of the great skills and important international role we have played in this ambitious International Space Station project. This success is the well-earned result of all the skill and energy we invested in developing the living spaces which makes up more than 50% of the pressurised elements of the orbiting home. It is a very valuable technological commitment that allows us to enjoy the status of being one of the major international industrial players in the development of orbiting infrastructures and transport systems, both manned and unmanned”.

“For decades, Thales Alenia Space has been better known as a provider for communications, weather and remote sensing satellites as well as for our unmanned space probes. In addition to our role in space applications for serving and securing citizens, I think it is now time that we be also known as a trusted provider of ‘living and life giving space’ for human space flight”, added Reynald Seznec, Chairman and CEO of Thames Alenia Space. “Our demonstrated capabilities and skills enabled us to become a major partner in NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Service programme with our contribution to the Cygnus resupply vehicle, and we will play a key role in keeping the ISS operational through 2015 and, hopefully, well beyond this date”.

Node 3 “Tranquility” is the second connecting node module built by Thales Alenia Space and commissioned by the European Space Agency (ESA) as part of its Columbus Launch barter agreement with NASA. Its twin, Node 2 “Harmony”, also built in Turin, has been docked to the ISS since October 2007. This can-shaped module, about the size of a double-decker bus, will provide berthing locations for future modules or vehicles, while expanding the habitable volume of the ISS by 75 cubic meters. It features standardized interfaces to accommodate research racks and living quarters. Moreover, Node 3 is equipped with the most sophisticated environmental and life support system ever flown in space, which will not only recycle water and generate oxygen but will also purify the atmosphere from toxic substances and measure their components.

In the picture: Floating just below the International Space Station, astronaut Nicholas Patrick put some finishing touches on the Cupola relocated to the Earth-facing port of the just installed Tranquility node, during STS-130 mission. (NASA)

(Aeromedia, February 2010)