The Complete Book of Spaceflight: From Apollo 1 to Zero Gravity

structural and functional center of the Russian segment
of the ISS.
Truss Structure
An American-supplied framework that serves as the
backbone of the ISS and the mounting platform for
most of the station’s solar arrays. The truss also supports
a mobile transporter that can be positioned for
robotic assembly and maintenance operations and is
the site of the Canadian Mobile Servicing System, a
16.8-m-long robot arm with 125-ton payload capability.
The truss consists of 9 segments that will be taken
up one at a time; four elements will fix to either side
of the S0 segment.
Nodes
American-supplied structural building blocks that
link the pressurized modules of the ISS together.
Unity Node provides six attachment ports, one on
each of its sides, to which all other American mod-
International Space Station (ISS) 203
ules will join. Node 2, in addition to attachment
ports for non-U.S. modules, contains racks of equipment
used to convert electrical power for use by the
international partners. Node 3, which seems likely to
be axed due to budget cuts, was to house life support
equipment for the Habitation Module, which may
also be scrapped.
Destiny Laboratory Module
America’s main workstation for carrying out experiments
aboard the ISS. The 16.7-m-long, 4.3-m-wide,
14.5-ton Destiny will support research in life sciences,
microgravity, Earth resources, and space science. It
consists of three cylindrical sections and two endcones.
Each end-cone contains a hatch through which
crew members will enter and exit the lab. There are 24
racks inside the module, 13 dedicated to various
experiments, including the Gravitational Biology
Facility, and 11 used to supply power, cool water, and
provide environmental control.
Destiny Laboratory Module Astronauts Rick Sturckow (left), STS-105 pilot, and Daniel Barry and Patrick Forrester, both
mission specialists, work in the ISS Destiny Laboratory in August 2001. NASA