KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The node structural test article (STA) is prepared to be offloaded through the open nose of the Super Guppy transport aircraft following its arrival at Kennedy Space Center from Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. It was moved to KSC for storage. An exact replica of the Unity Node on the International Space Station, the node STA was used at MSFC for testing and validation purposes. The Unity Node is the pressurized element that connects the other ISS pressurized modules together and was the first U.S. element to launch.
Location Kennedy Space Center, FL
Date October 9, 2002