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72-741: The Raffaello MPLM , also known as MPLM-2 , was one of three Multi-Purpose Logistics Modules which were operated by NASA to transfer supplies and equipment to and from the International Space Station . Raffaello was used for four of twelve MPLM flights to the space station, with Leonardo being used for the remainder. It was first launched on 19 April 2001, aboard the STS-100 mission flown by Space Shuttle Endeavour , and made its third flight in July 2005, aboard Discovery on STS-114 . Raffaello ' s final flight

144-430: A Berthing Mechanism that would attenuate the loads incurred when two modules were maneuvered into contact with each other, followed by latching. Contact conditions were identified as important, but were not quantified at that time. The same is true for the diameter of the internal passageway. Internal connection of utilities between the modules was explicitly required, as was "androgyny" . A standardized Berthing Mechanism

216-593: A contingency reberth to allow removal and replacement of CBM components. The effort to re-outfit the vestibule for de-berthing the CBM makes it generally unsuitable for emergency departure. The original design of the ISS called for a Habitat element to be installed on the Nadir-facing port of Node 1 (Unity), and bulkhead penetrations were designed accordingly. As the station matured through the first phases of assembly, Node 3

288-522: A payload into the Orbiter's Payload Bay. It was envisioned at that time that many of the retrieved spacecraft would not be designed for such operations, further raising the importance of solving (or eliminating) issues with docking. The berthing operation was developed to do so: a requirement to gently grasp a nearby spacecraft with near-zero contact velocity was allocated to the Shuttle's planned RMS. Using

360-420: A typical personnel passageway. All CBM types feature an aluminum ring that is bolted onto the pressure shell during fabrication of the parent module . The bolted joint compresses two concentric o-ring seals: one is silicone (for better temperature performance), and the other is fluorocarbon (for better resistance to scrubbing). A mated pair of rings is primary structure for life-critical pressure loads, so

432-617: Is applied, two CPAs are selected for use as the Primary and Secondary master controllers, and the individual motor controllers are initialized. A "DBBoltck" command is issued to the Powered Bolts, and the Capture Latches are individually commanded to 212° shaft angle. The latches are then positioned to their nominal "capture complete" position of 12°. The CBM is either left in a "standby" condition, or powered down. Release of

504-586: Is located at NASA KSC. Leonardo is permanently attached to the ISS as PMM and should reenter in the atmosphere with it. Raffaello is located at an Axiom Space facility near Houston, in preparation to undergo work to become an element for the Axiom Commercial Space Station. Common berthing mechanism The Common Berthing Mechanism ( CBM ) connects habitable elements in the US Orbital Segment (USOS) of

576-418: Is positioned above its respective fitting, which is operationally verified by evaluating its switch state. The RMS still controls the position and orientation of the element, and the loads exerted by the Capture Latches remain low. Taking about 15 seconds to complete, first-stage capture is restricted to orbital regions where ground controllers can monitor progress in near real time. To control spurious loads when

648-567: Is typically installed around the inner perimeter of the two facing hatch beams, to mitigate the gradual collection of debris around the perimeter of the vestibule. Detailed contingency operations, addressing both repair and preventive maintenance, were prepared in advance for the internally accessible components. Generalized procedures for pinpointing atmospheric leakage in the vestibule have existed since at least ISS Assembly Stage 4A, as have contingency installation procedures for all three sets of IVA seals. Reports of damage to CPA connectors (both on

720-517: The chase vehicle's propulsive RCS plumes hitting the target vehicle vehicle during proximity operations . The advent of the Space Shuttle Program mitigated some issues with docking, but introduced new ones. Significant differences between the masses of chase and target vehicles provided for less equal sharing of momentum after contact, and the larger mass of the Shuttle required significantly more braking propellant than

792-563: The ATV and Cygnus resupply craft all trace their origins to the MPLMs. The MPLM concept was originally created for Space Station Freedom . Initially, they were to be built by Boeing , but in 1992, the Italians announced that they would build a "Mini-Pressurized Logistics Module", able to carry 4,500 kilograms (4.5 t) of cargo. After the 1993 redesign of Freedom, the length was doubled and it

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864-444: The International Space Station (ISS). The CBM has two distinct sides that, once mated, form a cylindrical vestibule between modules. The vestibule is about 16 inches (0.4 m) long and 6 feet (1.8 m) across. At least one end of the vestibule is often limited in diameter by a smaller bulkhead penetration. The elements are maneuvered to the berthing-ready position by a Remote Manipulator System (RMS) . Latches and bolts on

936-592: The 6-joint Shuttle RMS (SRMS, or " Canadarm ") and the 7-joint Space Station RMS (SSRMS, " Canadarm "). The maneuver operation starts with acquisition of the payload by the RMS End Effector. This step is variously referred to as "capture" or "grappling". During the NSTS era, payloads typically arrived in the Shuttle's Payload Bay. During grapple, the SRMS' joints were "limped", allowing it to conform its posture to

1008-483: The ACBM for berthing takes about an hour, beginning with selection of supporting utilities (power, data) and sequential activation for each Controller Panel Assembly (CPA). Two CPAs are selected as the Primary and Secondary Master Controllers. Activation executes Built-in-Test and initializes position counters for the actuators. Each bolt actuator is extended two revolutions, then retracted three to verify operability of both

1080-565: The ASI to denote some of the great talents in Italian history: Leonardo da Vinci , Raffaello and Donatello . Although built by ASI, the modules are owned by NASA. In exchange for building the MPLMs, ASI receives access to U.S. research time on the ISS. The MPLMs have a heritage that goes back to Spacelab . In addition, ESA's Columbus module, the Harmony and Tranquility ISS modules and

1152-539: The CBM have also been exploited in support of dispensing CubeSats from the SlingShot deployment system. The framework mounts into the PCBM's interior envelope on logistics vehicles (e.g., Cygnus ). The Bishop NanoRacks Airlock Module ( NRAL ) takes advantage of the robust interface between the ACBM and PCBM to repeatedly berth and deberth a "bell" hosting similar capability. The US space program's concept of berthing

1224-493: The CBM/CBM seal, still permitting the vestibule to hold atmospheric pressure. Any two bolt failures can tolerate mechanical loads, provided they are not next to each other and the vestibule is not pressurized. The loss of any single latch and any single Ready-to-Latch indicator can be tolerated without jeopardizing mission success, and the latches themselves are designed to accommodate the possibility for "brakes on" failure modes in

1296-565: The Deployable M/D Covers. Release of the spring-loaded covers requires actuation of Capture Latches to close them again afterwards and, therefore, exercises the Ready-to-Latch Indicators. Including inspection, each Radial Port is budgeted about 15 minutes for a single EVA crew member, assisted by IVA crew to operate the ACBM as necessary. Full-sized elements launched on the NSTS had protective covers over

1368-632: The ISS. However, Donatello was never used and some of its parts were cannibalized to convert Leonardo into the PMM. With the end of the Space Shuttle program in 2011, the Raffaello and Leonardo modules were flown a combined total of 12 times. An MPLM is a large cylinder equipped with a common berthing mechanism at one end, and grapple fixtures to allow the Canadarm-2 to move it from

1440-646: The MPLM while it was in the payload bay. The arm was disconnected and retracted prior to the MPLM being removed for placement on the ISS and then reconnected once the MPLM was placed back inside the payload bay. Since the module names are also the names of three of the four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles , the NASA MPLM Group approached Mirage Studios artist A.C. Farley to design a logo featuring Raphael in an astronaut flight suit. There were cloisonné pins produced, as well as stickers and embroidered patches. Because

1512-579: The Ninja Turtles were created by Mirage Studios and owned by them at the time (now owned by Paramount Global , formerly ViacomCBS, via Nickelodeon ), NASA gave Mirage the copyright to the logo in exchange for the use of the studio's character on it. The following are the specifications of the MPLM: The Donatello MPLM has been converted by Lockheed Martin into a Habitat Ground Test Article (HGTA) Lunar habitat prototype which

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1584-542: The PCBM Element from the hard mated condition takes about 90 minutes. It begins with loosening of all 16 Powered Bolts by about 0.4 revolutions, taking less than five minutes. All 16 bolts are required to have a positive residual load after the step is complete. Sets of four bolts are then extracted completely, each set taking about 6:30 to reach a nominal position of 21.6 revolutions. RMS grapple and free drift Attitude Control are required to be in place before removal of

1656-538: The PCBM has been provided to the RMS operator by at least two dedicated systems. Early berths were guided using a photogrammetric feedback technique called the Space Vision System (SVS), that was quickly determined unsuitable for general use. The SVS was replaced by a task-dedicated Centerline Berthing Camera System (CBCS), first used on STS-98. The time required to complete the RMS maneuver depends entirely on

1728-448: The RMS to assemble objects on orbit was regarded as a driving requirement for accuracy in both position and orientation of the emerging system. Although not foreseen at the time of RMS development, this period saw the emergence of requirement topics that would become important to the CBM: the accuracy and precision of RMS control, limitations on its ability to force things into alignment, and

1800-472: The RTL is a spring-loaded mechanism, the RMS ends up with stored energy and is left in a state that can resist the separating force. The two halves of the CBM are nominally joined in three operations: At least two distinct capture protocols have been executed on orbit. Both protocols issue a "first-stage" capture command to an indicated shaft angle between 185° and 187°. First-stage capture ensures that each latch

1872-556: The SRMS. Detailed resolution logic for the loss of power and communication is available, as are resolution sequences for latches that "miss" their fittings or jam at a partial stroke. The contingency procedures in this phase of operations also address abnormal braking of the SSRMS and "rapid safing" if other systems in the ISS or Shuttle required immediate departure. Vestibule outfitting includes equipment setup, leak check, and mechanical reconfiguration. The time and effort required depends on

1944-780: The Shuttle and was stored at the Kennedy Space Center. The Donatello module never launched. MPLMs were flown on 12 of the 37 Space Shuttle missions to the ISS. The basic design of the MPLM was later used as the basis for two cargo spacecraft, the European Automated Transfer Vehicle and the American Cygnus . The modules were provided to NASA under contract by the Italian Space Agency (ASI). Three MPLMs were built and delivered to NASA and have names chosen by

2016-546: The Shuttle program. Not all strategies were easily implemented in all orbital directions, which threatened the ability to assemble in some of those directions. The use of a long tele-robotic device (the RMS) reduced that threat by moving the point of first touch away from the chase vehicle. By 1972, requirements analysis for the Shuttle Program estimated that almost 40% of mission objectives would involve assembly by placing

2088-662: The Six-Degree-of-Freedom test facility at Marshall Spaceflight Center (MSFC). In that effort, "common" appears to have meant that a single family of mechanism designs accomplished both berthing and docking (inheriting the divergent requirements for both) and that any member of the family could join with any other member. "Active" and "passive" referred to whether mechanisms were provided for attenuation of residual kinetic energy after docking. Motor-deployed capture latches of two different designs (fast- and slow-acting, having short- and long-reach, respectively) were mounted on

2160-569: The Type I PCBM seal is more forgiving of pre-berth temperature differential between the two modules than the V835 fluorocarbon of the Type II. S383 is also more resistant to atomic oxygen encountered on orbit prior to berthing. The Type II was used to launch small elements in the shuttle payload bay while bolted to an ACBM or to similar flight-support equipment because the V835 material is more resistant to

2232-468: The active CBM (ACBM) side pull fittings and floating nuts on the passive CBM (PCBM) side to align and join the two. After the vestibule is pressurized, crew members clear a passage between modules by removing some CBM components. Utility connectors are installed between facing bulkheads, with a closeout panel to cover them. The resulting tunnel can be used as a loading bay , admitting large payloads from visiting cargo spacecraft that would not fit through

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2304-425: The aggressive environment. At the 255 nautical miles (472 km) typical ISS altitude, NASA identifies seven factors for that environment: Several of these features and factors interacted through a long sequence of decisions about the station's orbit, configuration, plans for growth, launch vehicles, and assembly techniques. The berthing operation finds its origin in programs of the 1960s and 1970s as they explored

2376-422: The berthing element is large, the station Attitude Control System may be maintained in free-drift and crew exercise prohibited. The two protocols differ in how the latches draw the two halves to within reach of the Powered Bolts. During the NSTS era, a single second-stage "capture" command was issued after the SRMS was placed in "test mode". Five stages of capture are executed when using the SSRMS in order to limit

2448-444: The bolt and the motor. Latches are driven one at a time to the open position which, for Node Radial Ports, deploys M/D Covers. All 20 actuators are set to the operational initial positions (0 revolutions for the bolts, 202° for latches). A remote inspection is conducted to verify that the latches are fully deployed and the mating corridor and surface are clear of obstructions. Contingencies considered during preparation include cleaning

2520-605: The capture process has completed successfully, all 16 Powered Bolts are actuated at 5 rpm with a preload limit of 1,500 lbf (6,700 N). As the Thermal Standoffs begin to contact their respective Strike Plates, the resulting load is reported by each bolt's Load Cell. This "ABOLT" phase terminates individually for each bolt on the basis of torque, revolutions, or indicated load. Bolts finishing earlier can see their indicated load change as subsequent bolts seat their nuts. The operators, who might be ground-based, evaluate

2592-408: The configuration of the ACBM, the number and type of CBM components to be removed, and on the interfaces to be connected between the two elements. It may be budgeted for as much as ten hours although, in at least some cases, that time might be paused to conduct an extended "fine leak check" by pressure decay before opening the hatch into the vestibule. Because they overlap the crew corridor through

2664-409: The crew after the vestibule is pressurized. The Type II is used where ports would otherwise be exposed for long periods of time, or in directions that experience aggressive pre-berth conditions. The Type II ACBM is found on the radial ports of resource nodes, and can face in any orbital orientation. The PCBM incorporates fittings and alignment structures corresponding to those on the Type I ACBM. 32 of

2736-404: The damaging effects of scrubbing under vibration. The PCBM is always located on an end of the parent module. It can be attached to a bulkhead or as an end ring on a barrel section of primary structure that is open to vacuum before berthing. PCBMs are attached to modules having a wide range of thermal mass , so can also experience a wide range of initial temperature conditions. By the nature of

2808-464: The exact location of the payload. The SSRMS typically grapples a free-flying payload that has maneuvered itself to maintain a constant distance and orientation with respect to the ISS. Once grappled, the RMS moves the module by changing its joint angles. The motion of the module must often be choreographed with other moving parts of the ISS such as the Solar Arrays. Visual feedback on the motion of

2880-542: The face of the ACBM ring, and EVA corrective actions involving the M/D Covers as well as the CPA, Capture Latch, and Ready-to-Latch Indicators. Specific resolution procedures are available for the loss of power and communications support to the CBM. The PCBM-equipped module is maneuvered into the capture envelope by a tele-robotically operated Remote Manipulator System (RMS). Two different RMSs have been used to berth modules:

2952-499: The final study reports were written, at least three of them identified "berthing" as the primary means of assembling a Space Station from pressurized modules delivered in the Shuttle's payload bay. Of the concepts described and illustrated, none strongly resemble the eventual design of the CBM, and little discussion of the technical details is readily available. In early 1984, the Space Station Task Force described

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3024-423: The fittings are themselves spring-loaded mechanisms, actuated during capture and rigidization by corresponding components of the ACBM. The primary CBM/CBM seal is also part of the PCBM, as are preloaded stand-off/push-off springs to stabilize its relative motion when the CBM/CBM joint is nearly mated. Two types were specified for the PCBM, differing only in the durability of their seal. The S383 silicon material of

3096-414: The ground and on orbit) led to the deployment of risk mitigation procedures on STS-126 . Removal of an Element essentially reverses the process of berthing. It varies by the specifics of how the vestibule was configured for operations. The most commonly encountered implementation starts with deoutfitting the vestibule when reconfiguring to deberth a logistics element a from Node Radial Port. The procedure

3168-493: The hatch as a boundary for the passageway. In most locations, volume is reserved for utility connections outboard of the closeout. The set of utilities is specific to each pair of mated modules. In addition to its structural characteristics, the ACBM performs and reverses the basic functions associated with berthing: Two functional types were specified for the ACBM. The Type I ACBM, with a complement of 24 independent mechanisms, can be found either axially or radially oriented on

3240-411: The inside of the hatch. With these in place, the vestibule is ready for a depressurization period of about 40 minutes, including dwell periods for leak check. The critical (absolute) pressure objective is 2 mmHg (267 Pa) in order to preclude damage to the CBM seals during the demate. As in pre-berth preparation, supporting utilities are configured to provide for power and data to the CBM. Power

3312-461: The late 1950s, the capability had been recognized as "...necessary for building space stations and assembling vehicles in low Earth orbit...". By the end of the Apollo program, standardized rendezvous and docking practices to support it had been proven in practice. The basic challenges of propellant management were well understood, as were control stability and contamination issues resulting from

3384-565: The magnitude of structural loads peaking in the booms and joints during capture. These proved to be crucial to the design, qualification, and operation of the mechanism's development. The SRMS did not accomplish its first retrieval and payload bay berth until STS-7 in June, 1983. The date of first operation was two months after submission of final reports by the eight contractors of NASA's Space Station Needs, Attributes, and Architectural Options Study. Even though no flight results were available when

3456-488: The on-going system-level configuration studies, NASA anticipated that concept development projects for advanced docking and berthing mechanisms "...to substantially reduce docking loads (velocities less than 0.1 ft/sec) and provide payload berthing capabilities...will be initiated beginning in Fiscal Year 1984." The Berthing Mechanism Advanced Development program actually started in 1985, leading to full-scale testing in

3528-671: The operation, the PCBM always faces in the flight orientation opposite that of the ACBM, so the temperature differentials can be significant. See the Operations Gallery for more graphics. See the Missions Table for individual berthing events. ACBMs require EVA to prepare for first use on orbit. Type I ACBMs, usually found on axial ports, typically have a "shower cap" cover that takes two EVA crew members about 45 minutes to remove and stow. Type II ACBMs, found on Node Radial Ports, require release of launch restraints for

3600-464: The operator determines the boltup process to have completed successfully, the latches are commanded to the "closed" position and the CPAs are deactivated. Power, executive command, and data resources are available for reassignment to other tasks. Accommodations for several off-nominal situations are inherent in the design of the CBM. Any single bolt failure during the mating operation can be accommodated by

3672-512: The outboard radius. Outward-oriented guide petals were also located on the outboard radius, giving the mechanism an overall diameter of about 85 inches. Structural latching was accomplished by a "bolt/nut structural latch" of 0.500 inch nominal diameter. Designed for a tensile load of 10,000 lbf (44,500 N), both the bolt and nut were fabricated from A286 steel, coated with a tungsten disulfide dry film lubrication as specified by DOD-L-85645. Bolt/nut locations alternated in orientation around

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3744-420: The parent module. It can face any of the six orbital orientations, so can be anywhere within a wide range of temperatures at the start of berthing operations. The Type II ACBM augments the design of the Type I with components to protect its parent module when nothing is berthed on a port . Four of the components are mechanisms that can be deployed to get out of the incoming module's way. Others are removed by

3816-415: The perimeter of the 63-inch diameter pressure wall and the faces of both rings included seals, so that the mechanism was effectively androgynous at the assembly level. The bolts were designed for manual actuation, using sealed drive penetrations through the bulkhead. An option for motorized torquing was identified, but not designed. The bolt could be tightened from either the head side, or the nut side. Neither

3888-471: The potential for loads building up in its arm booms if off-nominal braking events occur. In either case, capture drives latches to 12° indicated shaft angle in an actuation time of about 108 seconds. In both protocols, the residual energy in the RTLs might cause them to open briefly because the latches are not "hooked" to their fittings until well below the 187° starting position. Once the operator concludes that

3960-494: The practicality of physics related to these issues. The CBM concept itself began to emerge with the first studies of the program in the early 1980s, experienced multiple iterations of concept, and completed development shortly before launch of the first flight element as the 1990s drew to a close. The CBM is just one branch in the long evolution of the United States' ability to assemble large spacecraft. At least as early as

4032-479: The resulting condition to determine whether the loading condition is acceptable. If so, restrictions are lifted on Attitude Control and exercise. The RMS releases (ungrapples) the payload and can proceed to other tasks. If pre-mission Thermal Analysis indicates that the temperature differential between the two CBM halves is excessive, the ABOLT condition is held for an extended period of time. The "thermal hold" allows

4104-412: The rings and seals were engineered to the same standards as the module shells. If the primary seals deteriorate, they can be augmented by secondary seals that were designed and qualified as part of the CBM. The secondary seals can be installed as an intravehicular activity (IVA) . Most of the vestibule's volume is reserved for crew passage, and a closeout is typically installed around the perimeter of

4176-437: The seal on the PCBM. Two EVA crew members required 40 – 50 minutes each to remove and stow the PCBM's covers, inspecting the seal as they did so, and cleaning it if necessary. Type II PCBMs used as a launch interface were inspected after unbolting, since no covers were installed. For logistics flights, inspection is by camera only. The PCBM requires no preparation for berthing beyond what is required post-launch. Preparation of

4248-576: The shuttle bay to a berthing port on the US Orbital Segment of the ISS. In order to provide power to equipment and experiments inside the MPLM during launch, the MPLM could be connected to the Shuttle's power supply by means of the Remotely Operated Electrical Umbilical (ROEU). The umbilical was mounted on the starboard side payload bay sidewall longeron, and was a folding arm umbilical that connected to

4320-548: The third set. After all 16 bolts have been extracted, the Capture Latches are deployed, allowing the compressed Ready-to-Latch Indicators to thrust against the PCBM's Alignment Guides. The departing element is maneuvered away by the RMS and, on Node Radial Ports, the Deployable M/D Covers are closed. The ACBM is then shut down by removing power from the CPAs. Resolution for contingencies during demate are generally similar to those for preparation and execution of mating operations. Many of them effectively terminate with instructions for

4392-471: The trajectory to be followed and on any operational constraints that must be accommodated. The same is true for all contingency planning. Near the end of the maneuver, the operator negotiates a tight corridor as the PCBM begins to mesh with the ACBM. The operation ends when the RMS Operator either sees four Ready-to-Latch indications on the target ACBM, or concludes that only three can be achieved. Because

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4464-430: The two sides to approach a common temperature. The Powered Bolts are then tightened in six steps to their full preload. Each command is issued to four bolts at a time, spaced at 90° intervals. Some steps may, at the discretion of the operator, be executed more than once. The final boltup actuation is budgeted for 60 minutes, but can vary quite a bit depending on how many iterations of incremental preload are executed. Once

4536-465: The vestibule, the CPAs must always be cleared away, and it is always necessary to remove any covers across the hatch on the newly berthed element. Where the elements will remain mated for long periods of time, other CBM components may be removed for safe storage or reuse. Node radial ports require an additional 20–40 minutes for the removal and storage of the M/D Cover's Center section. A closeout panel

4608-628: Was aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis on the STS-135 mission, the last flight of the Space Shuttle. In April 2023, Raffaello was transferred to Axiom Space to be repurposed and flown as part of the Axiom Orbital Segment . Like the other Multi-Purpose Logistics Modules, Raffaello was constructed by the Italian Space Agency , who chose to name it after the painter and architect Raffaello Sanzio . The module

4680-758: Was constructed in the late 1990s, and delivered to NASA at the Kennedy Space Center in August 1999. Multi-Purpose Logistics Module The Leonardo module was modified in 2010 to turn it into the Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM) and was permanently attached to the ISS during the STS-133 mission in March 2011. In July 2011, the Raffaello module was the primary payload on the final Space Shuttle mission. It returned with

4752-488: Was developed to mitigate issues of orbital mechanics that were encountered during the evolution of docking . Although not the first mechanism developed specifically for berthing, the CBM was the first such device designed in the US specifically to assemble structural joints that would hold sea-level pressure. It integrates four archetypical features: The use of these features on a spacecraft entails special considerations due to

4824-451: Was moved during Expedition 21 to the port-side CBM, and "...Potable Water, ISL & 1553 data cabling, and installing IMV [Inter-Modular Ventilation] ducting, cables and hoses..." were connected in preparation for the arrival of Node 3. The reconfigured bulkhead was tested for leakage before moving PMA3 back to its storage location, and Node 3 was installed in the newly prepared location on STS-130 . The depth, diameter, and accessibility of

4896-446: Was needed during Apollo. Simple coaxial alignment between chase and target inertial properties during terminal approach operations was not possible with the asymmetric Orbiter, which was designed for aerodynamic lift during return from orbit. Impingement of large Shuttle RCS plumes on relatively small target vehicles also disturbed control over target orientation during proximity operations. These issues forced changes in braking strategy on

4968-514: Was originally budgeted for two crew members and a duration of 4 hours. It removes items that cross the ACBM/PCBM interface plan (closeouts, utility jumpers, and grounding straps), installs CBM hardware essential to demate operations (e.g., CPA, thermal covers), and closes the hatch. Pressure decay testing equipment, including sensors and supporting electronics and a Vacuum Access Jumper 35 ft (11 m) in length, are subsequently installed on

5040-439: Was perceived as an external flange on module ports, and a "6-port Multiple Berthing Adapter" roughly corresponded to the eventual Resource Node concept. Deflections induced by internal pressure acting on radially-oriented ports of cylindrical modules became recognized as a critical developmental issue. The Task Force's final report also appears to be among the earliest references to "common...berthing mechanisms". In parallel with

5112-443: Was planned for that location. It later became apparent that installation on the port-side bulkhead would confer significant operational advantages. Unfortunately, the original routing of utilities inside Node 1 required significant re-work on orbit to enable the change. The large CBM diameter permitted the use of PMA3 as a pressure-containing closeout during the effort, so that feed-throughs could be removed and replaced without EVA. PMA3

5184-420: Was renamed the "Multi-Purpose Logistics Module". Each empty MPLM is approximately 21 feet (6.4 m) long, 15 feet (4.6 m) in diameter, weighs 4,400 kilograms (9,700 lb), and can deliver up to nine metric tons of cargo to the ISS. Donatello was a more capable module than its two siblings, as it was designed to carry payloads that required continuous power from construction through to installation on

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