Existing ESA hardware on board the ISS

In 2004 the European Space Agency (ESA) plans to launch the Columbus laboratory, the Columbus science module is a 4.5 metre cylindrical pressurised, habitable module which will be attached to Node 2 of the International Space Station (ISS). Columbus represents ESA's biggest single contribution to the International Space Station. Currently scheduled to launch late in 2004, and will give an enormous boost to the station's research capabilities. It is designed as a general purpose laboratory which can support any foreseen user discipline, including materials and fluid sciences, life sciences and technology development, and will therefore be an intergral part of much micorgravity based research on board the ISS.

It has a proposed 10 year lifespan and will involve researchers all over Europe, who will be able to control their own experiments directly from several User Centres or even directly from their workplaces. Their efforts will be channelled through the Columbus Control Centre in Germany, which will interface with the module itself and also ESA's NASA partners in the United States.

Therefore the beauty of Columbus is that it will provide earth based researchers - sometimes with a little help from ther ISS crew with a sophisticated, automated microgravity research laboratory. To provide a base for such general research the laboratory will accomodate the following multi-user facilities.

• Biolab
• Fluid science Laboratory (FSL)
• European Physiology Modules (EPM)
• European Drawer Rack (EDR)
• European Stowage Rack (ESR)
• Materials Science Laboratory (MSL)

Links

• ESA International Space Station site (for prospective users of microgravity facilities)
• ESA International Space Station site (for members of the public.

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