Columbus takes the plunge

A full-scale mock-up of the European Columbus laboratory is submerged into the Neutral Buoyancy Facility (NBF) at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany. 

Before European astronauts fly to the International Space Station and work in the European laboratory module known as Columbus, they follow an intense training programme, which includes both wet and dry exercises on Earth. 

The European Astronaut Centre has a neutral buoyancy facility – a water tank that is 10 metres deep and contains 3.7 million litres of water. This pool serves as a simulated environment for initial spacewalk training, and has enough space to submerge a replica of the Columbus laboratory module. 

Columbus is ESA’s largest single contribution to the International Space Station, offering European scientists full access to conduct experiments in a weightless environment. It has room for ten payload racks, each hosting autonomous laboratories to support research. 

Since spacewalks cannot be practised under genuine space conditions on Earth, simulating weightlessness underwater is an important aspect of astronaut training.  

During their training, astronauts learn fundamental concepts and skills, including tethering to the Station, handling special tools, communicating with crewmates and the control room, and maintaining situational awareness in a complex and challenging environment. 

This year, with five newly selected astronaut candidates commencing their basic training at EAC, the tank is in full use for scuba diving training and certification. This marks the initial step towards spacewalk training underwater. 

ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen is set to put his training into action during his first spacewalk. Andreas is currently living and working on the Space Station for his six-month Huginn mission. 

During his spacewalk, Andreas will exit the Space Station alongside NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara. Andreas, who is currently serving as the Station's commander, will install a new high-definition camera while strapped to one of the Station’s robotic arm, Canadarm2. The duo will also check a new tool to connect and disconnect cables to the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02). 

Stay tuned for more information on Andreas's spacewalk.