Computer generated model of Columbus on the station

Columbus at Kennedy Space Center

Columbus is a science laboratory designed to be a part of the International Space Station (ISS). It is the biggest single contribution to the ISS made by the European Space Agency (ESA). Columbus was constructed in Europe and then flown to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida on a large cargo plane. Launch is set for 2007 on Space Shuttle flight STS-122. Columbus is designed for ten years of operation. Image File history File links ESA_Columbus_module. ... Image File history File links ESA_Columbus_module. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 768 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1168 × 912 pixel, file size: 130 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 768 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1168 × 912 pixel, file size: 130 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... International Space Station insignia ISS Statistics Crew: 3 As of June 20, 2007 Perigee: 319. ... Established: 1974 Administrator: Jean-Jacques Dordain Budget: €2. ... World map showing the location of Europe. ... Merritt Island and Kennedy Space Center (shown in white). ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Largest metro area Miami Area  Ranked 22nd  - Total 65,795[1] sq mi (170,304[1] km²)  - Width 361 miles (582 km)  - Length 447 miles (721 km)  - % water 17. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... For the current Space Shuttle mission, see STS-117 NASAs Space Shuttle, officially called Space Transportation System (STS), is the United States governments current manned launch vehicle. ... STS-122 is a space shuttle mission planned for December 2007, and is now expected to use the Space Shuttle Atlantis. ...

Construction

ESA chose EADS Astrium Space Transportation as prime contractor for Columbus. The lab was integrated at its facilities in Bremen, Germany. The Columbus flight structure, the micro-meteorite protection system, the active and passive thermal control, the environmental control, the harness and all the related ground support equipment were built by Alcatel Alenia Space in Turin, Italy as defined by the PICA - Principle . EADS Astrium Space Transportation was formed in June 2003 from the Space Infrastructure division of Astrium (whose core was originally ERNO) and the EADS Launch Vehicles division (formerly Aerospatiales Space division). ... This article is about the city in Germany. ... Alcatel Alenia Space was established on July 1 2005 by the merger of Alcatel Space and Alenia Spazio and is owned by Alcatel (67%) and Finmeccanica (33%). The company is Europes largest satellite manufacturer. ... “Torino” redirects here. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ...

Description

The laboratory is a cylindrical module with two end cones. It is approximately 4.5 meters in diameter and almost 7 meters long. Its shape is very similar to that of the Multi-Purpose Logistics Modules, since both were designed to fit in the cargo bay of a Space Shuttle orbiter. The starboard end cone contains most of the laboratory's on-board computers. The port end cone contains the Common Berthing Mechanism. March 10, 2001 - The Leonardo Multi Purpose Logistics Module rests in Discoverys payload bay in this view taken from the ISS by a crew member using a digital still camera during STS-102. ... The Common Berthing Mechanism (or CBM) is used to connect all non-Russian pressurized modules of the International Space Station. ...

Launch Status and Next Steps

Columbus is currently at the KSC Space Station Processing Facility, scheduled to launch on ISS assembly flight 1E. As of April 18, 2007, the launch of Columbus had been delayed, due to a major hail storm that damaged the Atlantis orbiter's external fuel tank. The launch will now occur no earlier than December 6, 2007.^[1] Sometime in 2007, about 6 months before launch, Columbus will undergo a final health check, after which NASA will begin integration of the module into the cargo bay of the orbiter.^[2] The Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF) is a three-story, 457,000 square foot building located in the Kennedy Space Center industrial area, just east of the Operations and Checkout Building. ... The following is the assembly sequence of the major components of the International Space Station. ... STS-122 is a space shuttle mission planned for December 2007, and is now expected to use the Space Shuttle Atlantis. ... April 18 is the 108th day of the year (109th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... For the current mission, see STS-117 Space Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-104) is one of the fleet of space shuttles belonging to the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). ... December 6 is the 340th day of the year (341st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

Once at the station, the SSRMS will remove Columbus from the docked shuttle's cargo bay and attach it to the starboard hatch of Harmony (formerly known as Node 2), with the cylinder pointing outwards.^[3] The Mobile Servicing System (MSS) or Canadarm2 is a robotic system and associated equipment on the International Space Station that plays a key role in station assembly and maintenance: moving equipment and supplies around the station, supporting astronauts working in space, and servicing instruments and other payloads attached to the... Harmony in the Space Station Processing Facility, awaiting launch. ...

Research activities and payloads

Once Columbus is operational, activities in the lab will be coordinated on the ground by the Columbus Control Centre (at DLR Oberpfaffenhofen in Germany) and by the associated User Support Operations Centres throughout Europe.

The laboratory can accommodate ten active International Standard Payload Racks (ISPRs) for science payloads. Agreements with NASA allocate to ESA 51% usage of the Columbus Laboratory.^[4] ESA is thus allocated five active rack locations, with the other five being allocated to NASA. Four active rack locations are on the forward side of the deck, four on the aft side, and two are in overhead locations. Three of the deck racks are filled with life support and cooling systems. The remaining deck rack and the two remaining overhead racks are storage racks. International Standard Payload Rack The International Standard Payload Rack (ISPR) has been adopted by the International Space Station (ISS) program to support efficient integration and interchangeability of payload hardware—and to maximize joint research among investigators . ...

In addition, four external payloads can be attached outside the starboard cone. Each external payload is mounted on an adaptor able to accommodate small instruments and experiments totalling up to 227 kg.^[5]

The following ISPRs will be initially installed inside Columbus:

1. Fluid Science Laboratory (FSL)
2. European Physiology Modules (EPM)
3. Biolab
4. European Drawer Rack (EDR)
5. European Stowage Rack

The first external payloads mounted on Columbus on-orbit are: Fluid Science Laboratroy (ESA / D. Ducros) The Fluid Science Laboratory is an European (ESAs) science payload designed for use in Columbus built by Alenia Aeronautica Spazio. ... European Physiology Modules (ESA / D. Ducros) The European Physiology Modules (EPM) is a Payload of the Columbus Laboratory. ... Biolab is a single-rack multi-user science payload designed for use in the Columbus laboratory of the International Space Station. ... European Drawer Rack (ESA / D. Ducros) The European Drawer Rack (EDR) is a European (ESA) science payload developed by Alenia Spazio for use in the Columbus Laboratory, which is part of the ISS. The EDR is a multi-user facility for flexible experiment accommodation. ...

1. European Technology Exposure Facility (EuTEF)
2. Solar Monitoring Observatory (SOLAR)

Planned additional external payloads:

1. Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space (ACES)
2. MISSE-6 (NASA payload)

Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space is a project lead by the European Space Agency will place an ultra-stable atomic clock on the International Space Station. ...

History

ESA's Board of Directors approved the Columbus program in 1985. From then on, numerous studies and proposals were made. Initially the Columbus program included 3 flight configurations: a Man-tended Free-Flyer (MTFF) element serviced by the Hermes shuttle and flying periodically to the station for maintenance and reconfiguration, an Attached Pressurized Module (APM), and a Polar Platform (PPF). For development cost saving and optimization of spares provisioning during the operational phase commonality was foreseen between the flight configurations and to the space station (e.g. same computers used for all three elements, video and comms units identical to station equipment). Established: 1974 Administrator: Jean-Jacques Dordain Budget: €2. ... Year 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar). ... Artists impression of the Hermes Shuttle A cutaway view of the Hermes Shuttle Hermes was a proposed mini-shuttle designed by the European Space Agency which was superficially similar to the US X-20. ...

When the complete phase C/D proposal (Fixed Price) was delivered end 1989 by the prime contractor MBB-ERNO it turned out that the costs were much higher than expected by ESA. This article is about the European Space Agency. ...

After several budget cuts (and cancellation of the CNES-led Hermes program), all that remained in the Columbus program was the APM, renamed to Columbus Orbital Facility (Note: later it was renamed to just Columbus being the present formal name); the polar platform was contracted separately with commonality to the French satellite HELIOS. The Centre National dÉtudes Spatiales is the French government space agency (administratively, a public establishment of industrial and commercial character). Its headquarters are located in central Paris. ...

When only the APM was left in the program there were not enough tasks for the two main contributors Germany and Italy represented by MBB-ERNO and Alenia respectively. As compromise the PICA - Principle was invented meaning that Alenia as a Co-prime is responsible for the overall Columbus configuration and the mechanical and thermal/life support systems whereas EADS Astrium Space Transportation is responsible for the overall Columbus and all Avionics systems and software (Note: the company MBB-ERNO was renamed to Deutsche Aerospace then Daimler-Benz Aerospace then DaimlerChrysler Aerospace then Astrium then EADS SPACE Transportation and finally EADS Astrium Space Transportation). Alenia Aeronautica Italian aeronautic company Alenia Difesa Italian defense products company Alenia Spazio Italian aerospace company [now called Alcatel Alenia Space] Alenia Marconi Systems or AMS Anglo-Italian electronic company Categories: Disambiguation ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... EADS Astrium Space Transportation was formed in June 2003 from the Space Infrastructure division of Astrium (whose core was originally ERNO) and the EADS Launch Vehicles division (formerly Aerospatiales Space division). ... EADS Astrium Space Transportation was formed in June 2003 from the Space Infrastructure division of Astrium (whose core was originally ERNO) and the EADS Launch Vehicles division (formerly Aerospatiales Space division). ...

Loading of Columbus at the Bremen airport

On May 27, 2006 Columbus was flown from Bremen to Kennedy Space Center on board an Airbus Beluga. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 557 pixelsFull resolution (1140 × 794 pixel, file size: 96 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 557 pixelsFull resolution (1140 × 794 pixel, file size: 96 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Merritt Island and Kennedy Space Center (shown in white). ... Airbus S.A.S. is the aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS N.V., a pan-European aerospace concern. ... The Airbus A300-600ST (Super Transporter) or Beluga is a version of the standard Airbus A300 wide-body airliner, modified to carry aircraft parts and over-sized or awkward cargo. ...

The structure used is based on the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, a module built for NASA by Alcatel Alenia Space. In 2000 the pre-integrated module (structure including harness and tubing) was delivered to Bremen in Germany by the Co-prime contractor Alenia. The final integration and system testing was performed by the overall prime contractor EADS Astrium Space Transportation, after that the initial Payload was integrated and the overall complement checked-out. March 10, 2001 - The Leonardo Multi Purpose Logistics Module rests in Discoverys payload bay in this view taken from the ISS by a crew member using a digital still camera during STS-102. ... The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an agency of the United States federal government, responsible for the nations public space program. ... Alcatel Alenia Space was established on July 1 2005 by the merger of Alcatel Space and Alenia Spazio and is owned by Alcatel (67%) and Finmeccanica (33%). The company is Europes largest satellite manufacturer. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... EADS Astrium Space Transportation was formed in June 2003 from the Space Infrastructure division of Astrium (whose core was originally ERNO) and the EADS Launch Vehicles division (formerly Aerospatiales Space division). ...

The final schedule was much longer than originally planned due to development problems (several caused by the complex responsibility splitting between the Co-prime and the Overall prime contractor) and design changes introduced by ESA but being affordable due to the Shuttle problems delaying the Columbus launch for several years. The main design change was the addition of the External Payload Facility (EPF), which was driven by the different European Payload organizations being more interested in outer space than internal experiments. Also the addition of a terminal for direct communications to/from ground, which could have been used also as back-up for the ISS system, was studied but not implemented for cost reasons. This article is about the European Space Agency. ...

Specifications

• Length: 6.871 m
• Diameter: 4.487 m
• Launch mass (with 2500 kg payload): 12800 kg
• Total on-orbit mass (incl 10500 kg payload): 19300 kg

Notes

This article is about the European Space Agency. ... This article is about the European Space Agency. ... This article is about the European Space Agency. ...

External links

• ESA: Columbus Laboratory
• ESA: Technical specifications of the Columbus Laboratory
• ESA: Columbus structure completed