The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
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A major part of the STS-102 mission to the International Space Station is to take up Leonardo the Italian built Multi Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM). The MPLM is one of three pressurized moving van modules designed to be taken into orbit, attached to the space station, and then, after unloading, brought back to the orbiter's cargo bay for return to Earth. Leonardo will be attached to the nadir, or Earth-facing, berthing port of the Unity node, after the PMA 3 has been moved from the berthing port to an adjacent one on Unity's left side.
This NASA downlink, taken on the 12 March 2001, contains Flight Day 5 highlights of STS-102 including the unbirthing of Leonardo from Discovery's payload bay using the shuttle's robotic arm and its subsequent docking to the Unity module.
01:56:45:18 Timecode In
02:08:45:18 Timecode Out