Flight Day 6 is underway aboard space shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station following the wakeup call at 5:57 a.m. EST. “Happy Together” by The Turtles was played for Mission Specialist Steve Bowen.
This morning, the Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM) will be moved from Discovery’s cargo bay and attached to the Earth-facing port on the Unity node. In the evening, the crew will enter the PMM for the first time.
The PMM was modified from the Leonardo Multipurpose Logistics Module. Hardware not required for long-duration spaceflight use was removed to reduce weight and allow more storage area. The module’s interior was modified to make panels easier to open and close. And the outside of the module was armored with a micrometeroid mattress that lies underneath the metallic shield. It is 21 feet long, 15 feet in diameter and provides 2,472 additional cubic feet of pressurized volume for storage and scientific use. The PMM is carrying 14 racks, which include the Express Rack 8 experiment rack, six resupply stowage platforms, five resupply stowage racks and two integrated stowage platforms. Robonaut 2 also is riding aboard the PMM.