Leonardo (ISS module)
module of the International Space Station
Leonardo, also known as the Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM) is a module of the International Space Station. It was flown into space aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on STS-133 on February 24, 2011, and installed on March 1. Leonardo is primarily used for storage of spares, supplies and waste on the ISS, which was until then stored in many different places within the space station. It is also the personal hygiene area for the astronauts who live in the US Orbital Segment. The Leonardo PMM was a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) before 2011, then was modified into its current configuration. It was formerly one of two MPLM used for bringing cargo to and from the ISS with the Space Shuttle.
Like the other Multi-Purpose Logistics Modules, it was constructed by the Italian Space Agency, who chose to name it after the Italian polymath Leonardo da Vinci. Construction began in April 1996, and the module was delivered to NASA at the Kennedy Space Center in August 1998 by an Airbus Beluga aircraft.
Previous proposals
A European proposal suggested equipping the Donatello MPLM with enhanced micrometeoroid/orbital debris protection and cooling systems, and leaving it attached to the ISS after the Space Shuttle fleet was retired. Costs for such MPLM modifications were estimated at $20M to $40M per unit.
The public source identifies “Leonardo (ISS module)” as module of the International Space Station. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Leonardo, module and International.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Leonardo (ISS module)”, the useful work is to connect “module of the International Space Station” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 14, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2584134. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2011, 1996 and 1998.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
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Three-step research path
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Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “Leonardo (ISS module)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.