The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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An interior view of the Columbus Laboratory provides a glimpse into the main characteristics of its design with regard to man-machine interactions. All laboratory facilities have been designed for easy access and operation. Laptop computers and other user-friendly interfaces will serve as a link between the crew and the experiments being carried out. However, the main feature of the research facilities is the degree of telescience. Principal investigators on the ground will be able to monitor and manipulate their experiments in near-real time conditions. This will not only provide a direct link between the researcher and his or her experiment, but it will also alleviate the demand on crew time and will significantly reduce operation costs. ESA has incorporated advanced features in the facility design (such as advanced diagnostics) in order to minimise the cost of experiment development. This approach is geared toward increasing the range of scientific opportunities available to the scientific community. Status as of July 1997. [Image Date: 1997/07] [97.07.007-008]