THE COLUMBUS LABORATORY

THE COLUMBUS LABORATORY

The Columbus laboratory is ESA’s largest single contribution to the Station, and Europe’s first permanent outpost in space.

Attached to the ISS since its delivery by the Space Shuttle in February 2008, this multi-purpose science and technology laboratory is almost 7 metres long with a diameter of 4.5 metres. It provides scientists with a unique research environment to conduct world-class studies in life and physical sciences and other science and technology domains.

Using broadband telecommunications, scientists can control their experiments from the nine User Operations Support Centres across Europe, and even directly from their workplaces via the Columbus Control Centre in Germany.

The broad range of experiments includes fundamental science, fluid and combustion physics, material sciences, space biology, human physiology and technology. The results will help us to understand the causes and perhaps prevent and treat certain diseases and could lead to new materials and advanced manufacturing processes on Earth.