Astronauts revel in space station's new room

By Irene Klotz

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - Astronauts aboard the International Space Station and the visiting shuttle Discovery tumbled into a spanking new room on Saturday, the first addition to the orbital outpost in six years.

The chamber, called Harmony, is a six-sided vestibule that will anchor the docking ports for new science laboratories that are scheduled to begin arriving in December.

"It's beautiful ... bright, shiny. It's as clean as can be, perfect shape," flight director Rick LaBrode told reporters after Harmony's hatch was opened for the first time in orbit.

Installing the Harmony module was one of the top priorities for the shuttle Discovery crew, which arrived at the station on Thursday for a 10-day construction mission.

Astronauts used a robotic crane to hoist the school-bus-sized module out of Discovery's cargo bay so spacewalking crewmates could bolt it into position on Friday.

The second of five spacewalks planned during Discovery's mission is scheduled for Sunday when an 18-tonne section of the station's frame will be prepared for relocation. The move of the solar power tower to the far end of the station's backbone is scheduled during the third spacewalk on Tuesday.

PREPARING FOR COLUMBUS

After the shuttle's departure, station crewmembers will continue preparing the complex for the arrival of Europe's Columbus module around December 8.