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    ESA > Our Activities > Operations

    Human spaceflight

    Human spaceflight missions at ESA

    Since February 2008, the Columbus lab has been controlled from the German Space Operations Centre in Oberpfaffenhofen by a joint ESA/German Aerospace Center (DLR) team. During 2008-2015, the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV)-series were controlled from the Centre spatial de Toulouse (CST) by a joint ESA/French space agency (CNES) team. 

    ISS partners 

    Specialists from ESA work at the Columbus Control Centre as mission directors, working tightly with engineering and support teams provided by DLR. In addition, numerous specialists working at other ESA establishments and at industry sites across Europe provide regular support and assistance.

    Until February 2015, ESA operations experts worked with teams from CNES at the ATV Control Centre, Toulouse, France, to operate the five Automated Transfer Vehicles that delivered supplies and propulsion to the ISS.

    The ISS (International Space Station) is operated from NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, and Russia's TsUP Mission Control Centre, outside Moscow.

    Current missions
    ISS as seen from Soyuz TMA-20

    ISS operations 

    ISS as seen from Soyuz TMA-20

    ISS operations In partnership with the United States, Russia, Japan and Canada, Europe is sharing in the greatest international project of all time – the International Space Station (ISS). The 450-tonne International Space Station has more than 837 cubic metre...

    The European Columbus laboratory installed

    Columbus operations 

    The European Columbus laboratory installed

    Columbus operations Four days after launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center on 7 February 2008, ESA's Columbus science laboratory was docked to the ISS. At 22:44 CET (21:44 UT) on 11 February 2008, NASA astronaut and ISS Commander Peggy Whitson together with ESA astronau...

    Last update: 21 August 2015

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