Station’s New Sunroom Arrives in Florida
The European-built Cupola module has arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and is now being prepared for an upcoming shuttle launch. When it’s finally installed on the International Space Station, it will give astronauts a panoramic view of the station and the Earth below. They won’t just be gazing dreamily at our planet, though, the Cupola will let crewmembers monitor spacewalks, docking operations and exterior equipment surveys. If all goes well, the Cupola will launch on STS-133, which is now due to lift off in 2009.