INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION CENTER TRUSS SEGMENT ARRIVES AT KSC TO BEGIN PROCESSING

The International Space Station truss, which will become the backbone of the orbiting International Space Station (ISS), arrived Saturday morning, June 12 at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility aboard the "Super Guppy" transport aircraft. It was flown from a division of the Boeing Company in Huntington Beach, CA.

This truss segment, called "S Zero," (S0) is a 44-by-15 foot structure weighing 30,800 pounds when fully outfitted and ready for launch. This segment will be at the center of the 10-truss, girder-like structure that will ultimately extend the length of a football field. Scheduled for launch in the Spring of 2001, astronauts will attach the S0 truss in space to the U.S. Laboratory "Destiny." Later, from each side of the center truss, the astronauts will attach the other trusses.

During processing at KSC, the Canadian Mobile Transporter will be installed on the truss structure. Later, during on-orbit assembly of the International Space Station, Canada's Mobile Service System will move its 55-foot robotic arm along tracks attached to the truss. Other items to be attached to the truss at KSC include power distribution system modules, a heat pipe radiator for cooling, computers, and a pair of rate gyroscopes. Four Global Positioning System antennas are already installed.

The S0 truss is being transported to the Operations and Checkout Building which has recently been reconfigured from processing Spacelab modules to processing ISS trusses.

NOTE TO EDITORS: There will be a media opportunity later this week to see the S0 truss in the high bay of the Operations and Checkout Building. Spokespersons will be on hand from NASA and Boeing to discuss the truss and its processing activities at KSC, and for a familiarization of the reconfigured O&C high bay for truss work. Those media wishing to attend should be at the KSC Press Site at 1 p.m. on Friday, June 18.

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