Posted on by Nancy Atkinson

Help NASA Name the Next ISS Module

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The next module for the International Space Station needs a name; something with a little more pizazz than its current appellation, Node 3. NASA is seeking opinions and suggestions for new names, for the component – a connecting module and its cupola, targeted to launch in December 2009. The cupola looks very cool, almost like a starship bridge – with six rectangular windows and one circular window overhead, providing a panoramic view that will be unrivaled by any other spacecraft ever flown. Node 3 itself will connect to the port side of the Unity Node and will provide room for many of the station’s life support systems. NASA has a few names picked out, so you can vote for those, or suggest your own designation. NASA says the name should reflect the spirit of exploration and cooperation embodied by the space station, and follow in the tradition set by Node 1- Unity- and Node 2- Harmony. Here are the choices so far:

Earthrise, Legacy, Serenity, Venture, or, suggest another name.

Voting/suggesting is open until March 20 here.

More about Node 3:

Space shuttle Endeavour will deliver the Node 3 components during the STS-130 mission, currently schedule for December 2009. Once the cupola is attached to one of the module’s six ports, it will offer astronauts a spectacular view of both their home planet and their home in space. Aside from providing a perfect location to observe and photograph the Earth, the cupola also will contain a robotics workstation, where astronauts will be able to control the station’s giant robotic arm.

Node 3 and cupola. Credit: ESA
Node 3 and cupola. Credit: ESA

After Node 3 is installed, the station’s crew will transfer over many of the Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) currently stored in various places around the station, including:

The Oxygen Generation System (OGS), which takes the station’s water and splits it apart into hydrogen, which gets vented into space, and oxygen, which is returned into the cabin for the crew to breathe
Atmosphere Revitalization System (ARS), which controls the station’s carbon dioxide levels and maintains the temperature and atmospheric pressure at comfortable levels.

The Water Recovery System (WRS) and Urine Processor Assembly (UPA), which take waste water from the station’s shower and toilets and purify it, separating any contaminants and making it safe for the crew to drink.

The Waste and hygiene compartment, which provides a place for the crew to shower and use the bathroom in a way that allows the station to process the majority of the water used onboard so that it may be used again, greatly lessening the need for resupply flights from Earth.

NASA and its station partners traditionally have named each habitable part of the station, including its three laboratories (the U.S lab- Destiny, the European lab- Columbus, and the Japanese lab- Kibo or Hope), two airlocks (Quest and Pirs), and two Russian-built modules (Zvezda or Star, and Zarya or Dawn).

Source: NASA

36 Replies to “Help NASA Name the Next ISS Module”

  1. I have a feeling this topic of discussion will go somewhere on the line of our ATV discussion. 🙂

    NASA will probably call this node peace. (of junk) 🙂

  5. The current leading name on NASA’s website is “Serenity” :). Methinks there is considerable overlap between the set of NASA readers and the set of Firefly fans.

  7. To be fair, I was thinking of a co-name -A Slavic (Russian or Soviet Cosmonaut) and an American Astronaut – I am still thinking

  8. Does anyone know how to get NASA to show some other options besides these? None of them are any good or make sense in combination with Unity and Harmony. I think that the node should be called Integrity, which matches very well and sounds much better, but since no one will see this option, it will probably be called Serenity which is a very stupid option which does no service to the honor and spirit of cooperation of which the station is such a magnificent symbol. If you know how, please help to publicize this alternative.

  10. I thought Earthrise (very poetic, and what people will observe from there) was a sure winner but for some reason people like “serenity?”

    Serenity seems senseless and cheesey…

  13. Serenity definitely has my vote, though more as a tribute to the Space craft “Serenity” from the Firefly TV Series.

  14. Hmm . . . let’s see, how about the word “WASTE.” Now don’t anyone get excited. I know “WASTE” isn’t exactly catchy, but it appears to be very accurate.

  16. I voted for Serenity.

    … I was thinking of that name as I was reading and than there it was, first place, 🙂

  18. The Nasa names are starting to sound like motivational posters, they should not suggest what is not realistic to strive for….Legacy sounds too political…I like Integrity, or peoples names. Some other possibly appropriate adverbs and agenda projections / labels:

    Stability (orbital)
    Solvency
    Habitability
    Redundancy
    Survivability
    Patience
    Perseverance
    Clairvoyance
    Flexibility
    Visibility
    Privacy
    Relativity (special or general)
    Observability
    Demonstrability
    Disprovability
    Serendipity
    Solidarity
    Cooperation
    Opportunity (equal)
    Liberte
    Egalite
    Fraternite

  19. My suggestion was “Five Forward” since there is no bar. But Joss Whedon rules ALL!

    “Burn the land and boil the sea
    You can’t take the sky from me
    There’s no place I can be
    Since I found Serenity
    But you can’t take the sky from me…”

  20. Suggested Integrity at the NASA site before seeing it independently here. It looks like Serenity is most popular. I am slightly disappointed that some of the anti-ISS folk commenting on UT have not come up with a blizzard of synical, comical and bitter suggestions (challenge 🙂 ).

  31. How about expensive piece of junk that the money could have been better spent on the poor and homeless?

  36. Jack Alexander Says:
    March 4th, 2009 at 12:59 am

    How about expensive piece of junk that the money could have been better spent on the poor and homeless?

    Your edumication learned you gud. *sigh* Sadly this idiot is gonna eat his hotpocket, check his laptop, then take his nuclear medicine chemo therapy and sit down and continue to critize things that are keeping his sad, sad existance alive.

    My advice, Read more of the E-Bible on your Amazon Kindle and leave the bad mouthing of NASA to your conservative buddies that are ripping you off by foreclosing on your house or stealing your 401(k) in the latest Ponzi scheme you are feeding into on a daily basis.

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