Columbus Laboratory cutaway view

ESA's Columbus Laboratory will become one of the principal manned modules of the International Space Station (ISS) when it is launched in late 2002 or early 2003 aboard the US Space Shuttle. In this pressurised laboratory, European astronauts and their international colleagues will work in a comfortable shirtsleeve environment. The-state-of-the-art Columbus is a general-purpose laboratory, accommodating experiments in life sciences, materials processes, technology development, fluid sciences, fundamental physics and other disciplines. Up to 500 experiments will be performed in it every year of its 10-year operational life. Measuring 6.7 m long and 4.5 m in diameter, the one-piece module will weigh 9.9 t without its research equipment of 5 t in 10 exchangeable modular racks. Columbus will be permanently docked to ISS via the internal hatch. The Columbus Laboratory is being developed by a European consortium headed by Daimler Benz Aerospace (DASA). Alenia Aerospazio is responsible for the definition, development and pre-integration of the mechanical structure, which will be delivered to DASA in 2000 for final integration of avionics and software, overrall system verification and delivery to ESA. Status as of July 1998. [Image Date: 1998/07] [98.09.019-010]