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After successfully delivering Columbus, Atlantis is back on Earth

20 February 2008

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Space Shuttle Atlantis lands at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at the end of the STS-122 mission to deliver the European Columbus laboratory to the International Space Station.

Credits: NASA TV

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A close-up view of the Columbus laboratory

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A close-up view of the European Columbus laboratory (centre, right) - newest addition to the International Space Station - is featured in this image photographed by an STS-122 crewmember on Space Shuttle Atlantis shortly after the undocking of the two spacecraft.

Credits: NASA

ESA builds up its contribution to the ISS

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Hans Schlegel during his first spacewalk

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ESA astronaut Hans Schlegel completed his first ever spacewalk on 13 February 2008. The second spacewalk of the STS-122 Shuttle mission lasted six hours 45 minutes.

Shortly after the spacewalk officially started to 15:27 CET (14:27 UT), Schlegel and NASA astronaut Rex Walheim headed out of the International Space Station’s Quest Airlock. The spacewalkers main task was to replace a nitrogen tank used to pressurise the Station's ammonia cooling system. The replacement of the tank is part of regular Station maintenance. A new nitrogen tank was carried to ISS inside Atlantis’ payload bay.

Credits: NASA

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ESA astronaut Léopold Eyharts on board the International Space Station. Eyharts became a member of the ISS Expedition 16 crew shortly after arriving at the ISS with the STS-122 Shuttle mission on 9 February 2008.

Credits: NASA

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Columbus Control Centre, Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany. Under the call sign 'Munich', the Columbus Control Centre will, from 2007, be responsible for systems on board the orbiting Columbus laboratory and for European science activities on board the ISS. The centre is already building operational expertise during ESA's Astrolab Mission.

Credits: DLR

Columbus Mission

Columbus Blog

Atlantis lifts off: the story in pictures

Schlegel completes first spacewalk Columbus installed in new home on ISS Spacewalk underway to install Columbus Columbus laboratory arrives at Space Station Europe’s Columbus laboratory leaves Earth