The $1.4 billion space lab Destiny on the International Space Station has been successfully opened, freeing the way for a new era of space-based experimentation.
On Sunday, astronauts opened the hatch between Destiny and the rest of the ISS. The lab will be the station鈥檚 scientific centrepiece. It is 鈥渢he most sophisticated and versatile space laboratory every built,鈥� says NASA.
Destiny will also serve as the ISS鈥檚 command and control centre. The lab鈥檚 arrival signals the transfer of ISS command from Russia to the US.
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Some scientists hope that experiments on board the ISS will answer fundamental questions in materials science and provide new medicines.
But Destiny has many critics. US physicist Robert Park has called the proposed research 鈥測esterday鈥檚 science鈥�. Other critics say that microgravity experiments have been conducted in orbit since the 1970s and none has produced spectacular results. They say the Destiny experiments could be done almost as easily and for far less money on Earth.
Destiny arrived at the station pre-fitted with five 鈥榮ystems racks鈥� containing equipment to provide electrical power and cooling. Pre-packed experiments will be shuttled back and forth from Earth and slotted into 13 research racks.
The aluminium laboratory module is 8.5 metres long and 4.3 metres in diameter. Astronaut Marsha Ivins used Atlantis鈥檚 robot arm to lift Destiny out of the cargo bay and to attach it to the ISS.
Concerns about cables that help separate the shuttle鈥檚 booster rockets from the main delivery vehicle meant Atlantis鈥檚 launch had been delayed by nearly three weeks.
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