14 DAY TRIAL // Mission planners at NASA have decided on the crew that will man the next space shuttle Endeavor flight to the International Space Station (ISS). The STS-130 flight will see the addition of a new station module, Node 3, also known as Tranquility, and the installation of the Cupola, an observation outpost that will allow astronauts to have a 360-degree view of their surroundings, when they are operating the robotic arm. The mission is scheduled to be one of the last ever flown by a component of the US space fleet, which will most likely be retired in September 2010, Space Fellowship reports.
Node 3 will be the last major component that the United States and NASA will deliver to the ISS. The module was just recently delivered to the American space agency, in an official ceremony. The large structure was constructed on the Old Continent, under the supervision of the European Space Agency (ESA). The structure features six berthing locations, but only two of these will be made available to the station. This is because the other modules that were scheduled to be attached to Tranquility were canceled, but only after the Node had already been completed.
The module will also house a number of critical systems, including life support, which will be essential for a new and improved ISS. The Cupola structure will be affixed to one of its berthing locations, basically providing the station's crew with a new laboratory and observation post. The windows on the structure should ensure that no “blind spots” remain, as far as the robotic arm goes. With the addition of the new HTV unmanned cargo capsule to the international fleet that serves the ISS, robotic arm operations become increasingly crucial. The Japanese capsule is unable to dock by itself, so it needs to be captured via the arm in mid-flight.
At this point, these new additions are scheduled to be delivered at the beginning of February. NASA established a February 4, 2010 launch date, at 5:52 am EST (1053 GMT). The lift-off will occur from the Launch Pad 39A facility, at the Kennedy Space Center, in Florida. NASA astronaut George Zamka will be the Commander of STS-130, while Terry Virts will serve as the pilot. Other mission specialists to complete the crew include astronauts Nicholas Patrick, Robert Behnken, Stephen Robinson and Kathryn Hire.
“This flight will, I think, grab the public's attention. It's just going to be a really, really neat module for those on board. The dream of being able to go out and just have an unencumbered view of space – we'll have it. You can open up all the windows and look around and really feel like you're out there,” ISS Program Deputy Manager Kirk Shireman says. Three spacewalks are scheduled for the flight.