Station Crew Enters Permanent Multipurpose Module

The International Space Station has a new room, filled with equipment, supplies and a new device that could be a precursor of spacewalking robots. The room was christened Tuesday at 6:17 p.m. EST when the hatch was opened and Expedition 26 Commander Scott Kelly was first to enter.

The Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM) Leonardo was installed on the Earth-facing port of the station’s Unity node at 10:05 a.m.

The PMM adds 2,472 cubic feet of pressurized storage space to the station. It also brings to the station, in addition to a humanoid robot called Robonaut 2, a payload of about 28,000 pounds. It includes an express rack capable of housing a variety of scientific experiments, five resupply stowage racks, six resupply stowage platforms and two integrated stowage platforms.

The new module was unberthed from space shuttle Discovery’s cargo bay at 8:26 a.m. by the station’s arm. Mission Specialists Michael Barratt and Nicole Stott used arm controls in the station’s cupola. The module had made seven previous visits as a cargo carrier.

One of three such carriers built in Italy under contract to the Italian Space Agency, its conversion to a permanent module included adding shielding and rewiring.

Commanders of both spacecraft were told that a proposed Soyuz flight at the station would not take place. Discovery will still get an extra day at the station, to be used for PMM outfitting.