European Node 2 paves the way for Columbus

European Node 2 paves the way for Columbus
ESA TV Ex-changes
The International Space Station is about to receive a crucial piece for its development. Node 2, developed in Italy and financed by the European Space Agency, will pave the way for the arrival of the Columbus laboratory, the biggest European contribution to the ISS. In only a few weeks, the Esperia mission, with Italian ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli on board, will fly to the International Space Station to support the delivery and attachment of the Node 2, opening a new chapter in Europe's space exploration.
The script is online as a PDF file under http://television.esa.int/photos/EbS53577.pdf
A WMV preview clip is online under http://esatv-movies.e-vision.nl/videos/mphi/Node2_DV_20-09-07_wmphigh.wmv

European Node 2 paves the way for Columbus
10:00:40 Circling the globe... 400 Kilometers above our heads... the International Space Station is about to receive an essential European element that will allow it to keep growing further.
Node 2 is an Italian-built pressurized module which will serve as a connecting passage between the European Columbus laboratory, the US laboratory Destiny and the Japanese Kibo lab.
Carrying the Node up to the ISS is the task of the Esperia mission, and particularly that of Paolo Nespoli, the Italian ESA astronaut who in only a few weeks will fly to the Station to support the delivery and attachment of the Node 2.
10:01:21 Paolo Nespoli, ESA Astronaut
STS-120 Esperia mission is an assembly mission to the ISS who will carry in the cargo of the shuttle the Node 2, an Italian built module, and will bring it up to the station and do the initial commissioning of the Node
10:01:39 Once attached, Node 2 will make the ISS astronautís living and working quart