Columbus Control Centre Ready for Launch

On 19 October 2004, the Control Centre for the Columbus Laboratory is being inaugurated. Columbus is Europe's module for the International Space Station (ISS). Columbus is due for launch in 2006. Its Control Centre, located near Munich in Germany, is operated by the German Aerospace Centre DLR, and is now ready to look after ESA's manned missions to the ISS. This includes all missions to ESA astronauts to the ISS, starting in April 2005. This video includes footage from the Centre, and sound bites by ESA and DLR officials on its role and functions. It includes the following:

0:13 Columbus Control Centre ready for launch. Until today the Columbus on ISS has been supported by two control centres: one in USA and on in Russia. From today this third ISS Columbus Mission Control Centre near Munich will support this activity.

0:54 Klaus Wittmann, DLR Head of Operations Control Centre, brief introduces the centre

1:04 General presentation of the control centre.

1:35 Images from ISS

1:52 Klaus Wittmann, DLR Head of Operations Control Centre, presents how many people will be working at the centre

2:04 Images from ISS

2:16 The Columbus Control Centre near Munich will work in close collaboration with the other ISS control centres in USA and Russia. Pictures from the centres, the Johnson Space Centre in Huston and the mission control centre in Alaska.

2:37 Hiltrud Pieterek, ESA Head of ISS Operations: The operation of the Columbus Control Centre has been delegated to the German Space Agency, DLR, and also ATV missions.

2:54 DLR has a long history of management of manned space flight since the first Spacelab mission in 1983.

3:04 Klaus Wittmann, DLR Head of Operations Control Centre, speak about DLR’s experience in Spacelab, Space Shuttle mission, e.g. ST-99 and other missions. DLR also performed different mission operations for MIR missions. Mixed video of Witman and Video from Spacelab.

3:44 Further presentation of the different facilities of the Columbus Control Centre near Munich.

4:19 Hiltrud Pieterek, ESA Head of ISS Operations: In this moment we prepare a Soyuz mission with the Italians. This flight is with the ESA Astronaut Vittorio to the ISS. This mission will be coordinated from the Columbus Control Centre as one of the first missions from here.

4:40 View of ISS, integration halls with ESA’s Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV)