Corning Will Produce Window on the World

Corning Inc. of Corning, N.Y., the sole provider of windows for the US portion of the International Space Station, will supply a 21-in.-diameter window for the US laboratory module Destiny. The window will enable global monitoring projects under NASA's Earth Science program, which seeks to construct a holistic model of the ecosystem.

The science window will comprise a mount, three fused silica panes and a scratch pane. The external 0.375-in.-thick pane is designed to absorb the impacts of micrometeorites and orbital debris, and it can be replaced in orbit. Two 1.25-in.-thick pressure panes ensure the module's atmospheric integrity.