Columbus placed inside Space Shuttle

ESA > Our Activities > Human Spaceflight > Columbus

Columbus placed inside Space Shuttle

Space Shuttle Atlantis on Launch Pad 39A

12 November 2007

The European Columbus laboratory is an important step closer to Earth orbit after being transferred to Space Shuttle Atlantis' cargo bay in preparation for launch to the International Space Station on flight STS-122.

Atlantis was rolled out to Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Florida, over the weekend. Columbus was already waiting for the arrival of the Space Shuttle after being taken to the launch pad inside a payload canister earlier in the week.

The European Columbus laboratory is the cornerstone of ESA’s contribution to the ISS and the first European laboratory dedicated to long-term research in space. Columbus will be carried into orbit in the cargo bay of Space Shuttle Atlantis on the STS-122 mission, targeted for launch on 6 December 2007.

The STS-122 crew includes ESA astronauts Hans Schlegel and Léopold Eyharts. Eyharts will remain on the ISS for two months as a member of the Expedition 16 crew to oversee the in-orbit commissioning of Columbus and its experimental facilities.

Payload canister (white rectangular box to left of centre) holding Columbus is lifted into place at the launch pad

Payload canister arrives at Launch Pad 39A

Rate this	Views	Share
Currently 0 out of 5 Stars. 1 2 3 4 5 Rating: 0/5 (0 votes cast) Thank you for rating! You have already rated this page, you can only rate it once! Your rating has been changed, thanks for rating!	56	Tweet

For Public

For Media

For Educators

For Kids

ESA

Human Spaceflight and Exploration

Columbus