Unity (ISS module)

Unity
	Unity module captured by STS-88 ( NASA )
Space station:	International space station
Start date:	4th December 1998
Launcher:	Space Shuttle Endeavor
Coupling:	5th December 1998
Dimensions:	11,612 kg
Length:	5.47 m
Diameter:	4.57 m
	Adjacent modules

Unity is the first of three connecting nodes of the American part of the International Space Station . He was aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor on 4 December 1998 in the mission STS-88 starts and two days later with the already in orbit module Zarya coupled. However, there is a conical connector ( PMA-1 ) between the two modules . Unity has a total of six coupling mechanisms, four on the cylindrical surface and one each at the stern and bow. The PMA-2 coupling adapter was initially located on the bow . The US laboratory Destiny was assembled here on February 11, 2001 (Mission STS-98 ) . At the same time, PMA-2 was relocated to its bow.

Already in October 2000 (Mission STS-92 ) the grid structure Z1 was attached to the top of Unity , in which there are four inertial gyroscopes for the attitude control of the entire station. On starboard -Kopplungsaggregat on 15 July 2001 (mission was STS-104 ), the US exit module Quest docked. In February 2010, the STS-130 space shuttle mission installed the Tranquility junction on Unity's port docking adapter. On March 1, 2011, the Permanent Multipurpose Module was docked to the docking adapter facing downwards during STS-133 .

Unity was built by the US aerospace company Boeing at the Marshall Space Flight Center . Production began in 1993 and in December 1996 the engineers started the interior work, which took seven months. At the end of June 1997 it was transported to the Kennedy Space Center , where the final expansion took place. After the electrical system was checked in December 1997, the leak tests were completed four months later. On September 4, 1998, exactly three months before launch, Unity was officially handed over to NASA.

The module is about 5.5 m long, has a diameter of 4.6 m and with docked coupling adapters a mass of about 12.8 t. Its outer skin is largely made of aluminum. It contains four standard racks for control, life support or storage. The module is provided with 121 lines for electrical power and data as well as 216 coolant and air circulation tubes. In addition, in the initial phase, it had a special communication system that was adapted to Russian specifications.

Unity was started with docking adapters, also built by the Boeing Company. Manufacturing and final construction took place in the factory in Huntington Beach, California. PMA-1 was delivered to KSC in Florida in July 1997; three months later the other coupling piece followed. In November 1997 the first and in May 1998 PMA-2 was installed on Unity.

The modules Zvezda , Zarya and Unity combined (computer simulation)
Jeffrey Williams and Thomas Reiter in Unity (2006)

Web links

Commons : Unity - collection of images, videos and audio files