The location of Node X on the International Space Station. Node X will be installed in June 2004 on the American side of the station in front of the European-built Columbus module.
Unity serves as the docking port for visiting space shuttles.
Node X with two attached propulsion packages. It will contain hydrazine fuel tanks and thruster rockets to provide reboost capability for the station. Both packages would be detachable so they could ferried to Earth for refilling via the shuttle. NASA expects those refill trips could happen every two years or so, depending on how often the propulsion package is used. Node X is scheduled to be flown to the ISS aboard a space shuttle in June 2004 and will be positioned in front of the European-built laboratory Columbus .