Spaceflight Now: Breaking News

U.S. space station lab passes pressure leak checks
BY STEPHEN CLARK
SPACEFLIGHT NOW

Posted: July 7, 2000

  Lab
In the Operations and Checkout Building, the U.S. Lab, named Destiny, is moved to the rotation and handling fixture in preparation for testing in the altitude chamber. Photo: NASA/KSC
 
The centerpiece of the scientific section of the International Space Station, the U.S. Destiny Laboratory, has completed a stay of seven days in a high-altitude vacuum chamber.

The successful completion of vacuum testing is an important milestone in the processing of the element. Launch of Destiny is currently set for no sooner than January 18, 2001, aboard shuttle Atlantis on assembly mission 5A.

"Completing this test was a large step in meeting the lab's 'Destiny': launch early next year. Its performance exceeded expectations, boosting our confidence in on-orbit performance. I'm very happy for the lab team," said Tip Talone, director of payload processing for the International Space Station at Kennedy Space Center.

"Testing the laboratory in the vacuum chamber has provided us with the information we need to ensure Destiny is leak free and safe for the astronauts to inhabit while working at the International Space Station," said John Elbon, Boeing director for ISS ground operations at KSC.

Both NASA and Boeing workers participated in the vacuum testing.

The 16-ton research module was the first ISS element to undergo such in-depth testing in the chamber. This three-story tall stainless steel vacuum chamber was used to test Apollo spacecraft from 1964 to 1975. It is located in the Operations and Checkout Building at KSC.

Destiny was placed in the chamber on July 1 and spent nearly seven days inside it while being subjected to atmospheric pressures equivalent to those at 257,000 feet above Earth, or 48 miles high. After the pressure was lowered, various sensors located both inside and outside of the module measured the pressure differentials to determine if there were any leaks. According to NASA, none were found.

After launch early next year, the 32,000-pound Destiny will be attached to Pressurized Mating Adapter-2 on the Unity node. Destiny measures 28 feet long and 14 feet wide.

It will provide cutting edge scientific and research facilities that will allow future station crews to conduct various experiments.