International Space Station: A home in space: Part-2

 International Space Station: A home in space: Part-2

Introduction

The ISS is something very large, especially the assembly part, to be explained in one post. So I shifted the Truss assembly into this post so that you do not get bored reading a very long post.

Assembly of the ISS

1. The Integrated Truss Structure

Now comes the main part of the station, the Integrated Truss Structure. The first part is the S0 truss that is attached on top of Destiny. The Mobile remote service Base System (MBS) was attached to the S0 Truss, and it could move along it as a slider. This is a Canadian part and so is most useful when the Canadarm 2 is attached to it. The S1 (Starboard 1) and P1 (Port 1) truss were added on both sides of the S0 truss. The letters S and P tell on which side they are. They both bring along more radiator panels. ESP-2 was attached to Destiny beside the Quest airlock. Then came the P3/4 module which brought along two more solar array wings. Beside them was the tiny P5 module. The P6 panel’s P side wing was closed to balance weight. This P6 would later be attached to P5. S3/4 came with their solar array wings. The tiny S5 was also added. ESP 3 went below S3. Now P6 comes to its permanent place beside P5. The S1 and P1 deploy more of their radiator panels. Node 2 or Harmony is attached to Destiny. But before that PMA2 will be removed, Harmony will be attached and the PMA2 is attached to the other side of Harmony which has 6 docking ports. Here, ESA or the European Space Agency plays its part and provides Columbus, a European laboratory which docks with Harmony. Now Canada sends another robot, the Dextre which is again most useful when attached to the Canadarm-2. Japan’s turn. The Japanese Experiment Laboratory also known as Kibo came in several parts as it is the biggest module. It has another robotic arm too. The last solar array wings come with the S6 truss. Now the solar wings can rotate to receive the perfect amount of solar energy. Kibo receives its last part as the Japanese Exposed Facility which helps perform experiments in the vacuum of space. The Russian Poisk is added right above the Pirs and has the same functionality. Below S3 was the first ExPRESS Logistic Carrier or ELC-1 docked right below P3. ELC-2 was on top of the S3 truss. Node 3 or Tranquility is docked on the side of Unity or Node-1. Below tranquillity is a room called Cupola with 7 windows so that astronauts can have a view and each of them also have a cap to cover them when not in use. Below Razya was attached another Russian docking port and storage area, Rassvet. Tranquillity also has the Leonardo module docked beside it which contains the waste until it can be removed from the station. ELC-3 is above ELC-1 and ELC-4 is below ELC-2. To study rare particles such as antimatter, there is a science experiment called Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer or AMS-02 beside ELC-2. Bigelow Expandable Activity Module is an experiment to see whether the technology it uses can work. It takes less space during launch and inflates as it reaches there. Now our ISS is complete. Russia says it will withdraw from the ISS in 2025. 

 

Image Source - Google | Image by - ESA | I have highlighted the Integrated Truss Structure or the backbone of the ISS.

The ISS is a home in space. It is a bridge that has been working continuously for 21 years since November 20, 1998. I call it a bridge as, without it, we could not have done many missions that are counted among the greatest ones today. It is now becoming an inspiration for other outposts such as the Gateway…