| | About the International Space Station
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 360-tonne International Space Station has more than 820 cubic metres of pressurised space - enough room for its crew of six persons and a vast array of scientific experiments.
Station construction began in November 1998 with the launch of Russia’s Zarya module. Assembly was significantly delayed because of the tragic loss of Shuttle Columbia, which also resulted in the decision to retire the fleet after completion of the Station. Last major part delivered to ISS by the Space Shuttle was the AMS-02 instrument in May 2011.
One more pressurised module will be attached to the Station, in 2012: Russia’s Nauka Multipurpose Laboratory Module is as big as Zarya and Zvezda. It will be installed on the Earth-facing docking port of the Zvezda module.
 | | | Paolo Nespoli in Columbus |
European participation
Europe, working through ESA, is exclusively responsible for two key Station elements: the European Columbus laboratory and the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV).
The European Columbus laboratory represents a substantial part of the Station's research capability. Fitted with 10 interchangeable payload racks, Columbus is a multifunction laboratory that specialises in research into fluid physics, materials science and life sciences.
Europe's second biggest contribution is the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), a supply ship lifted into orbit by the Ariane-5 launcher.
| | | ATV |
The ATV carries up to 7 tonnes of cargo including provisions, scientific payloads and rocket propellant. Once docked, the craft can use its engines to boost the Station higher in its orbit, thus counteracting the faint drag from the Earth's atmosphere.
After the first ATV, Jules Verne in 2008, Johannes Kepler was flown in 2011 and the next one, Edoardo Amaldi arrived in August 2011 in Kourou for launch preparations. The fourth ATV, Albert Einstein is in construction.
| | | Cupola |
Apart from Columbus and the ATV, Europe's scientists and engineers are also contributing other elements, equipment and design skills across much of the ISS. More than a third of the pressurised Station elements are designed and built in Europe.
One of these European-made modules is Cupola, ESA's latest contribution to the International Space Station (ISS), providing in many ways a better place for observations than being out in space. The 80-cm diameter of Cupola’s circular top window makes it the largest window ever in space, while the six side windows open the view to all directions.
The DSM-R data management system has been a key part of the Station's 'brain' since its July 2000 launch aboard the Russian Zvezda Service Module.
| | | The European Robotic Arm |
Europe built two of the three nodes that link Station components, as well as the Cupola - a dome-like structure that will be the crew's panoramic window on space and a control room for astronauts operating Station equipment.
The European Robotic Arm will service payloads on a later Russian external platform and the Italian pressurised transfer modules - Leonardo, Raffaello and Donatello - will carry pressurised cargo to and from the Station.
In fact, European technology plays an important part in most Station
sections. Inside the United States Destiny research module, for instance, Europe has mounted, among other equipment, a specialized material science rack and freezer units. The Japanese Experiment Module uses a European freezer.
| | | ESA astronauts |
European astronauts and users
Europe also provides people. European astronauts have
flown in space since 1983, and since 1998 the European Astronaut
Centre in Cologne has concentrated on training men and women for
future ISS missions. The first European to serve a tour of duty on the ISS, Umberto Guidoni, went on mission to the ISS in April 2001.
Only a tiny fraction of the Europeans working on the ISS will ever visit space of course. Just because the ISS is growing into the brightest object in the night sky - after the Moon - it is easy to forget that much of the project's people and hardware are based not out in space but firmly on the ground.
European mission control centres direct onboard experiments, sharing Station command with Russia and the United States. The astronauts on the ISS will always be part of a much larger scientific team on Earth.
| | | Norwegian User Support and Operations Centre in Trondheim |
Nine European User Support and Operation Centres (USOCs) are based in national centres distributed throughout Europe. These centres are responsible for the use and implementation of European payloads on board the ISS. On behalf of users and under ESA management, the USOCs conduct the tasks needed to prepare and operate the facilities for experiments on board the ISS. The USOCs act as the link between the user and the ISS, and are the focal points for the preparation and operation of ESA payloads.
Right now, Europe's participation in the ISS means that throughout ESA's Member States, thousands of Europe's brightest people at hundreds of universities and high-technology companies are working on the leading edge of 21st-Century science and engineering.
Now when the Station is fully up and running, these people are among the first to benefit from the space research facilities they have helped to build.
Last update: 29 August 2011 | |
