2007 Harmony Delivery Tripled Station Living Space

The International Space Station expanded in scale on October 23, 2007, when the shuttle Discovery arrived in orbit with a new utility hub. The delivery, part of the STS-120 mission, marked a major step in the outpost's physical growth.

Harmony measures 14 feet wide and 24 feet long, roughly the length of a minibus. It serves as a connection point for the European Space Agency's Columbus module and Japan's Kibo laboratory. The module also houses the sleeping quarters for American astronauts.

Before this installation, the station was comparable to a three-bedroom house. With Harmony in place, the interior volume increased to match a five-bedroom house. The last new room added to the station prior to this was Russia's Pirs docking module in 2001.

Astronauts initially attached Harmony to the Unity node upon arrival. After the shuttle departed, the crew used the station's robotic arm to move the shuttle docking port from the Destiny module. This maneuver cleared the forward port of Destiny for Harmony's permanent berth.

The module, originally called Node 2, was built by Italy-based Thales Alenia Space for NASA. It features five common berthing mechanisms that allow other modules to connect. The name was selected through a public contest run by NASA.

Harmony now links Columbus on its starboard side and Kibo on its port side. Some of its ports have hosted visiting cargo vehicles. A docking port on its roof also allows other spacecraft to park there.

Inside the 24-foot structure, eight payload racks occupy the space. Four contain avionics equipment, while the other four provide stowage or crew quarters. The module's installation launched a new phase of station growth by providing a central hub for future additions.