ESA Node 3 and Cupola - Tranquility Module

Space Shuttle Endeavour will be launched at 10:39 CET on Sunday 7 February towards the International Space Station with two sophisticated modules from Europe: Node-3 ('Tranquility') and Cupola. Their installation will pave the way to completion of the ISS, with more than a third of the pressurised station elements designed, developed and built in Europe.

Node-3 is part of the Columbus launch barter agreement with NASA under which ESA supplied two of the connecting nodes (Node-2 and -3) for the International Space Station (ISS) and additional high-technology laboratory equipment and services to NASA in return for launching Europe’s Columbus laboratory to the ISS in February 2008. Cupola is covered by a separate barter agreement in exchange of the launch and return of five ESA payloads by NASA.

Node-3 will provide more space for equipment and the astronauts. Cupola, the largest and most complex window assembly ever launched into space, will find its home on the Earth-facing port of Node-3. It will provide a unique vantage point for observing Earth and for crew recreation.

ESA Human Spaceflight director Simonetta Di Pippo and Philippe Deloo, Head of Cupola/Nodes Project Office at ESA, tell more about the launch and about the importance of the Node-3 and Cupola on the ESA Webstreaming Network.