• Node 2 was built in Europe by Thales Alenia Space Italy (TAS-I) under contract of the European Space Agency. It incorporates six berthing ports: two in the longitudinal axis and four on the radial perpendicular axes. Node 2 is attached to the forward end of the U.S. laboratory and connects Columbus, the European laboratory, on the starboard side; Kibo, the Japanese laboratory, on the port side; the Pressurized Mating Adaptor 2 (PMA-2) on the forward side, which provides a docking location for visiting vehicles; on the nadir (Earth-facing) side, Node 2 provides a berthing port for the H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV), a Japanese cargo vehicle as well as commercial cargo vehicles. In March 2017, the PMA3 (then on Node 3) was relocated to provide a second US docking port on the zenith port of Node 2. In addition, Node 2 provides Crew Quarters for 4 crew members as well as vital functional resources for the operation of the connected elements, namely the conversion and distribution of the electrical power, heating, cooling resources from the ISS Integrated Truss, and support of the data and video exchange with the ground and the rest of the ISS.

Pressurized Mating Adapters (PMAs) NASA/Boeing

• Three conical docking adapters, called Pressurized Mating Adapters, attach to the Nodes’ berthing mechanisms. The other sides of the adapters allow for docking vehicles. PMA-1 connects the U.S. and Russian segments while PMA-2 and PMA-3 serve as docking ports for future commercial crew vehicles. PMA-2 is located on the Node 2 forward port and PMA-3 was located on Node 3 port. In March 2017 PMA-3 was relocated to the Node 2 zenith port. The ISS at that point will have two permanent docking ports.
• PMA-1, 2 and 3 structures are identical. The PMA structure is a truncated conical shell with a 28 inch axial offset in the diameters between the end rings.