The International Space Station, ISS, is easily visible to the naked eye as it flies 400 kilometres overhead. It is a masterpiece of global cooperation, uniting the USA, Russia, Japan, Canada and Europe in the largest partnership in the history of science.
Europe's involvement in this partnership through ESA continues to be a story of major technological and scientific achievement. It has been a great stimulus for European industry, which has taken great strides in the development and manufacture of cutting-edge space systems and hardware.
Europe’s key contribution is the multi-purpose science laboratory, Columbus. Here, scientists can send experiments to be carried out in weightless conditions. With the ISS nearing completion, utilisation of this unique facility and the exploitation of the unrivalled opportunities it offers are well under way.
ESA also provides the Automated Transfer Vehicle, ATV – a series of unmanned ferries that dock and undock automatically, each carrying a cargo of food, propellant and other supplies. Following the success of ATV, plans are being made for an advanced re-entry vehicle. This vehicle would return to Earth, carrying cargo and completed experiments.
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