COMPLETING THE SPACE STATION

Abstract

THE SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH OF the National Aeronautics & Space Administration's space shuttle Atlantis on Sept. 9 is good news for the science world. The shuttle's cargo will increase the power capability of the International Space Station (ISS) and set the stage for additional research capacity to be put in place. Billed as the world's most distinctive research laboratory, ISS has been in a holding pattern since the loss of space shuttle Columbia in February 2003. Station construction, which depends on the shuttle fleet, has been at a standstill, and on-board research has been significantly reduced. The Atlantis mission, which follows two safety test flights (or so-called return-to-flight missions) of the shuttle, marks the revival of station construction and the potential for more research. The two key research laboratories awaiting their trip to the station are the European Columbus module and the Japanese Experiment Module, Kibo. Both are currently at NASA's Space Shuttle Processing Facility in ...