Node 2: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Node 2, is the "utility hub" providing power, water and other essentials to support life on the International Space Station. Weighing approximately 30,000 pounds, Node 2 is the second of three connectors between International Space Station modules. Node 2 is managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. This "utility hub" will make the Space Station roomier, allowing it to expand from the size of a three-bedroom house to the space equivalent of a typical five-bedroom house, once the Japanese and European laboratories and the Centrifuge Accommodation Module are attached to it.

In an agreement between NASA and the European Space Agency, international contractor Alenia Spazio, based in Rome, Italy, built Node 2 at its facility in Torino, Italy.

It is more than 20 feet long and 14.5 feet wide. Node 2 contains eight racks, which will provide air, water and other conditions to support life on the International Space Station.

Specifications

• Length: 6.1 m
• Diameter: 4.2 m
• Mass: 13,608 kg

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