Brief
NASA’s Discovery shuttle delivers Harmony module to ISS in 2007
The Harmony module, built by Thales Alenia Space, became a central hub linking European and Japanese labs and adding crew quarters.
By Felo News Desk · Published
On October 23, 2007, NASA’s space shuttle Discovery launched the Harmony module to the International Space Station, according to Space.com.
What happened
During the STS‑120 mission, Discovery placed the 14‑foot‑wide, 24‑foot‑long Harmony module into orbit. Astronauts initially attached it temporarily to the Unity node, then used the station’s robotic arm to move the shuttle docking port at the Destiny module, clearing the way for Harmony to dock permanently next to Destiny. After a two‑week flight, the module was relocated from Unity to Destiny’s forward port, where it now connects Europe’s Columbus laboratory on the starboard side and Japan’s Kibo laboratory on the port side.
What the reports add
Space.com notes that before Harmony’s arrival the ISS was roughly the size of a three‑bedroom house; the addition expanded it to a size comparable to a five‑bedroom house. The article also highlights that the last new room added to the station had been Russia’s Pirs docking module in 2001. Harmony, originally called Node 2, is the second NASA‑led hub after Unity (Node 1) and was built by Italy‑based Thales Alenia Space. It features five common berthing mechanisms and eight payload racks, half of which support avionics and the other half serve stowage or crew quarters.
What was said
Space.com reports that the module’s name was chosen through a public NASA naming contest.
How it came about
Harmony’s launch marked a new phase of ISS expansion, providing a vital connection point for future modules. Earlier Felo coverage on the ISS’s growth, such as the October 12, 2026 report on the SpaceX CRS‑35 cargo mission (SpaceX CRS‑35 launch), shows the station’s continued development.
Key facts
- Harmony module launched on Oct. 23, 2007 aboard shuttle Discovery (STS‑120). (space.com)
- Harmony is 14 ft wide and 24 ft long, built by Thales Alenia Space. (space.com)
- It connects the Columbus and Kibo laboratories and provides crew quarters. (space.com)
Sources
- [1] space.com — originally reported as “On this day in space! Oct. 23, 2007: NASA launches Harmony module to ISS on STS-120 space shuttle mission”
