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Columbus

Columbus as seen by Space Shuttle Endeavour on STS-127
Module statistics
Part of	International Space Station
Launch date	7 February 2008, 19:45 UTC
Launch vehicle	Space Shuttle Atlantis
Berthed	11 February 2008 (Harmony starboard)

Columbus is a science laboratory that is part of the International Space Station (ISS) and is the largest single contribution to the ISS made by the European Space Agency (ESA).

Like the Harmony and Tranquility modules, the Columbus laboratory was constructed in Turin, Italy by Thales Alenia Space. The functional equipment and software of the lab was designed by EADS in Bremen, Germany. It was also integrated in Bremen before being flown to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida in an Airbus Beluga. It was launched aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis on 7 February 2008, on flight STS-122. It is designed for ten years of operation. The module is controlled by the Columbus Control Centre, located at the German Space Operations Center, part of the German Aerospace Center in Oberpfaffenhofen near Munich, Germany.

The European Space Agency has spent €1.4 billion (about US$2 billion) on building Columbus, including the experiments it carries and the ground control infrastructure necessary to operate them.

History

The structure used for Columbus is based on the MPLM module built for NASA by Thales 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.

On 27 May 2006 Columbus was flown from Bremen, Germany to Kennedy Space Center on board an Airbus Beluga.

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.

Construction

ESA chose EADS Astrium Space Transportation as prime contractor for Columbus overall design, verification and integration. The Columbus 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 designed and qualified by Alcatel Alenia Space in Turin, Italy as defined by the PICA – Principle (for definition see History below); the related hardware was pre-integrated and sent as PICA in September 2001 to Bremen. The lab was built and qualified on system level at the EADS Astrium Space Transportation facilities in Bremen, Germany, from where it was sent to NASA.

Launch, berthing and outfitting

In November 2007, Columbus was moved out of the KSC Space Station Processing Facility, and installed into the payload bay of the Atlantis orbiter for launch on ISS assembly flight 1E (STS-122).

STS-122 launch delays

During cryo-filling of the Space Shuttle External Tank (ET) with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen prior to the first launch attempt on 6 December 2007, two of four LH2 ECO sensors failed a test. Mission rules called for at least three of the four sensors to be in working order for a launch attempt to proceed. As a result of the failure, the Launch Director Doug Lyons postponed the launch, initially for 24 hours. This was later revised into a 72-hour delay, resulting in a next launch attempt set for Sunday 9 December 2007. This launch attempt was scrubbed when one of the ECO sensors again failed during fuelling.

The ECO sensors' external connector was changed on the Space Shuttle external tank, causing a two-month delay in the launch. Columbus was finally launched successfully on the third attempt at 2:45pm EST, 7 February 2008.

Berthing

Once at the station, Canadarm2 removed Columbus from the docked shuttle's cargo bay and attached it to the starboard hatch of Harmony (also known as Node 2), with the cylinder pointing outwards on 11 February 2008.

Description

The laboratory is a cylindrical module, made from stainless steel, kevlar and hardened aluminum, with two end cones. It is 4.477 m (14 ft 8.3 in) in external diameter and 6.871 m (22 ft 6.5 in) in overall length, excluding the projecting external experiment racks. Its shape is very similar to that of the Multi-Purpose Logistics Modules (MPLMs), 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.

Specifications

• Length: 7 m (23 ft)
• Diameter: 4.5 m (15 ft)
• Total mass: 10,300 kg (22,708 lb)
• Total payload mass 2,500 kg (5,512 lb)
• Total on-orbit mass 12,800 kg (28,219 lb)
• Construction details:
  • Wall thickness 4mm
  • welded end cones
  • materials : Stainless steel, kevlar, aluminium

Research activities and payloads

Activities in the lab are controlled on the ground by the Columbus Control Center (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. 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.

In addition, four un-pressurized payload platforms can be attached outside the starboard cone, on the Columbus External Payload Facility (CEPF). Each external payload is mounted on an adaptor able to accommodate small instruments and experiments totalling up to 230 kilograms (507 lb).

The following European ISPRs have been initially installed inside Columbus:

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

The first external payloads were mounted on Columbus by crew members of the mission STS-122 mission. The three payloads mounted are:

• European Technology Exposure Facility (EuTEF) platform, which accommodates nine instruments: TRIBOLAB, PLEGPAY, MEDET, EUFIDE, DEBIE-2, FIPEX, EUTEMP, EXPOSE, DOSTEL, and the Earth Viewing Camera.
• Solar Monitoring Observatory (SOLAR)
• MISSE-6 (NASA payload)

Planned additional external payloads:

• Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space (ACES)
• EXPORT
• Atmosphere-Space Interaction Monitor (ASIM)
• European Data Relay Satellite (EDRS) Communications Terminal, Ka-band

In 2014 the ISS-RapidScat instrument was installed, which was operated until late 2016. ISS-RapidScat was transported to ISS by the SpaceX CRS-4 spaceflight.

See also

• European Transportation Carrier (ISS Facility) (ETC)
• Columbus – External Payload Facility (Columbus-EPF)
• Bartolomeo facility

References

1. Harwood, William (11 February 2008). "Station arm pulls Columbus module from cargo bay". Spaceflightnow.com. Archived from the original on 7 May 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2009.
2. "ISS: Columbus Module". eoportal.org. 7 June 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
3. "Europe's Airbus-built Columbus orbital outpost: 10 years in space". Airbus. Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
4. "Space Shuttle Mission STS-122: The Voyage of Columbus". NASA. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 13 November 2007.
5. "Shuttle Launch Now Targeted For 2nd January". December 2007. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2007.
6. NASA (2007). "NASA Postpones Space Shuttle Atlantis Launch; Aims for Friday". NASA. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2007.
7. "Node 2, Columbus, Japanese Experiment Module and Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM) installation animation". NASA. 26 January 2007. Archived from the original on 21 April 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2007.
8. ^ "A new European science laboratory in Earth orbit" (PDF). October 2007.
9. "The European Columbus Laboratory". DLR German Aerospace Center. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
10. Giuseppe Reibaldi; et al. (May 2005). "The ESA Payloads for Columbus – A bridge between the ISS and exploration" (PDF). ESA. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 February 2020. Retrieved 27 January 2007.
11. "ISS Utilization: SOLAR and EuTEF – external payloads on the Columbus Lab". eoPortal. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011.
12. Steve Feltham & Giacinto Gianfiglio (March 2002). "ESA's ISS External Payloads" (PDF). ESA. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 February 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2007.
13. Reibaldi, G.; Manieri, P.; Mundorf, H.; Nasca, R.; König, H. "The European Multi-User Facilities for the Columbus Laboratory" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
14. "EUTEF – European Technology Exposure Facility". Carlo Gavazzi Space. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007.
15. "MDA-Developed Columbus Ka-Band Terminal (COLKa) Starts Journey to the International Space Station". 15 February 2020. Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
16. ^ "NASA calls time on ISS-RapidScat". 28 November 2016. Archived from the original on 27 September 2018. Retrieved 21 December 2016.

External links

• ESA: Columbus Laboratory
• ESA: Technical specifications of the Columbus Laboratory
• ESA: Columbus structure completed
• "A new European science laboratory in Earth orbit" (PDF). October 2007.

v t e Components of the International Space Station
Orbiting	Russian Segment Nauka Poisk Prichal Rassvet Zarya Zvezda US Segment BEAM Columbus Cupola Destiny Harmony Kibō Leonardo Quest airlock Tranquility Unity Subsystems Bishop airlock Electrical System European Robotic Arm External Stowage Platforms ExPRESS Logistics Carriers International Docking Adapters Integrated Truss Structure Life Support System Mobile Servicing System Canadarm2 Dextre Boom Assembly Pressurized Mating Adapters Strela cranes Window Observational Research Facility Experimental devices AMS-02 CALET CATS GEDI HDEV ISS-CREAM MAXI NICER PK-3 Plus SAGE III
Former	Major components Pirs
Future	Planned Axiom PPTM US Deorbit Vehicle
Spare hardware	Multi-Purpose Logistics Modules Interim Control Module Node 4
Cancelled	Propulsion Module Centrifuge Accommodations Module Habitation Module Crew Return Vehicle Science Power Platform Universal Docking Module Russian Research Module Science Power Module XBASE
Related	Manufacturing of the ISS Assembly of the ISS
Category

v t e European human spaceflight
General	European Astronaut Corps ISS contribution ISS research
Facilities	European Astronaut Centre Columbus Control Centre German Space Operations Center Concordia Station
Earth-based research	AMASE Concordia winterovers Euro-MARS European Space Camp MARS-500 MELiSSA Zero-G Airbus A310
Spacecraft used	Active Soyuz-MS Planned and proposed DC4EU Orion European Service Module Skylon Retired and cancelled CSTS Hermes Soyuz-TM Soyuz-TMA Soyuz TMA-M Space Shuttle
Mission highlights	Space stations Mir Euromir Interkosmos International Space Station ELIPS programme Modules Columbus Cupola Harmony Tranquility Other European Retrievable Carrier Hubble Space Telescope Faint Object Camera Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Spacelab Deutschland-1 Deutschland-2 Tethered Satellite System
European Space Agency

v t e Space stations and settlements
List of space stations List of commercial space stations
Current	International Space Station (ISS) Tiangong space station (TSS)
Past	Russia / Soviet Union Salyut Salyut 1 DOS-2 Salyut 2 Cosmos 557 Salyut 3 Salyut 4 Salyut 5 Salyut 6 Salyut 7 Mir United States OPS 0855 Skylab China Tiangong program Tiangong-1 Tiangong-2 Private Genesis I II
Canceled	Individual projects Aurora Station Bigelow Commercial Space Station Deep Space Habitat Excalibur Almaz Exploration Gateway Platform Galaxy Industrial Space Facility Manned Orbiting Laboratory Nautilus-X OPSEK Orbital Technologies Commercial Space Station Skylab II (FlexCraft) Skylab B Sundancer Tiangong-3 Incorporated into ISS Space Station Freedom USOS Columbus MTFF Columbus (ISS module) Mir-2 ROS
In development	Russia Russian Orbital Service Station Private Axiom Station Haven-1 Orbital Reef Starlab International(Western Aligned Nations only) Lunar Gateway
Proposed	Bharatiya Antariksha Station Japanese Space Station Module (Mitsui) Lunar Orbital Station Voyager Station
Concepts	Bernal sphere Bishop Ring McKendree cylinder O'Neill cylinder Rotating wheel Space settlement Stanford torus Wet workshop
Related	List of films featuring space stations Space stations and habitats in fiction Mission to Mir (1997 documentary) Space Station 3D (2002 documentary) Orphans of Apollo (2008 documentary) Space Tourists (2009 documentary) A Beautiful Planet (2016 documentary)
Notes: † Never inhabited due to launch or on-orbit failure, ‡ Part of the Almaz military program, ° Never inhabited, lacks docking mechanism.

• Columbus (ISS module)
• Components of the International Space Station
• Spacecraft launched in 2008
• Laboratories
• Spacecraft launched by the Space Shuttle