A New Truss for the International Space Station

The International Space Station (ISS) is being fitted with a backbone . During the present visit of Space Shuttle Atlantis , astronauts are installing a huge truss on the growing space outpost. The truss is over 13 meters long and about 4.5 meters wide. Dubbed Starboard 0, or S0 (pronounced S-Zero) for short, the truss will route electricity , vent excess heat, and allow for future ISS expansion. Pictured above , the truss was lifted out of the shuttle's cargo bay by the station's robotic Canadarm2 .