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Columbus hatch closed for last time

19 October 2007

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Preparations of the European Columbus laboratory took an important step on 16 October 2007 with the final closure of the module’s hatch ahead of the December launch to the International Space Station.

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, scheduled for launch on 6 December 2007.

Credits: ESA

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Members of the Columbus project team inside the European laboratory during the final preparations before hatch closure on 16 October 2007.

Left to right: Bernardo Patti, ESA Columbus Project Manager; Gregor Woop, ESA Columbus Project PA & Safety; Alessio Festa, ESA Columbus Project Chief Mechanical Engineer; Giuliano Canovai, ESA Columbus Project Chief Avionics Engineer.

Columbus laboratory ESA astronaut Léopold Eyharts assigned to European Columbus laboratory mission to the ISS ESA astronaut Hans Schlegel assigned to European Columbus laboratory mission to the ISS Significant milestone for Columbus flight readiness