14 DAY TRIAL // Russian engineers at the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center, in Moscow, are making consistent progress in building and assembling the components of the new Multipurpose Laboratory Module, which will be attached to the International Space Station in 2014.
The MLM is known at the Russian Federal Space Agency (RosCosmos) as Nauka. It is currently scheduled to be docked to the nadir port on the Zvezda module, replacing the Pirs laboratory.
The module was supposed to launch back in 2007, and to take part of a different setup on the ISS, but the Russians changed their plans with the launch of the Rassvet module, two years ago.
Currently, experts at Khrunichev are finishing attaching the European Space Agency (ESA) Robotic Arm. Recently, the flight module completed thermal control system and pneumatic/hydraulic tests. The solar panels are next, SpaceRef reports.