October 27, 2007

Harmony Node Installed



The Harmony node is officially installed in the International Space Station.

Wearing protective gear in case any equipment or hardware was jarred loose during the rocket flight, astronauts opened the door and went inside Harmony for the first time. Equipment was secured using more than 700 bolts; each of which will have to be removed by astronauts.

Harmony is about the size of a school bus and is the first living space increase in the space station since 2001. Harmony will serve as a connecting point for European and Japanese modules.

It certainly is a great day for space advancement. The spirit of spce exploration combined with a spirit of international cooperation is crucial if we ever want to make our home the entire solar system and not just Earth.

You can view the opening of the new hatch at CNN.com.