Columbus (ISS module)

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Computer generated model of Columbus on the station

Columbus at Kennedy Space Center

Columbus is a science laboratory designed to be a part of the International Space Station. Contracted by ESA, with EADS Astrium Space Transportation as prime contractor, it is integrated at its facilities in Bremen, Germany. The Columbus flight structure, the micro-meteorite protection system, the active and passive thermal control, the environmental control, the harness and all the related ground support equipment, were built by Alenia Spazio in Turin, Italy.

Columbus is designed for ten years of operations. Columbus was shipped to Kennedy Space Center in May 2006. Launch is set for 2007 on the seventh Shuttle flight after Return to Flight, STS-122.

1 Description
2 History
3 Specifications
4 External links

[edit] Description

The laboratory is a cylindrical module designed to fit in the cargo bay of the Space Shuttle, very similar in shape to the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module. Once launched on STS-122 ISS assembly flight 1E, it will be attached on the starboard side of Node 2, with the cylinder pointing outwards. The hatch is located in the port cone, most on-board computers are in the starboard cone.

The module contains ten International Standard Payload Racks (ISPRs). Four racks are located on the forward side of the deck, four on the aft side, and two are in overhead locations. Three of the deck racks are filled with life support and cooling systems, the remaining five deck racks and the overhead racks are storage racks. In addition, four external payloads can be attached outside the port cone.

The following ISPRs will be initially installed inside Columbus:

Fluid Science Laboratory (FSL)
European Physiology Modules (EPM)
Biolab
European Drawer Rack (EDR)
European Stowage Rack

The initial external payloads mounted on Columbus are:

European Technology Exposure Facility (EUTEF)
Solar Monitoring Observatory (SMO)
Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space (ACES)
SPORT

[edit] History

ESA's Board of Directors approved the Columbus program in 1985. From then on, numerous studies and proposals were made. Initially the Columbus program included 3 flight configurations: a Man-tended Free-Flyer (MTFF) element serviced by the Hermes shuttle and flying periodically to the station for maintenance and reconfiguration, an Attached Pressurized Module (APM), and a Polar Platform (PPF). For development cost saving and optimization of spares provisioning during the operational phase commonality was foreseen between the flight configurations and to the space station (e.g. same computers used for all three elements, video and comms units identical to station equipment).

When the complete phase C/D proposal (Fixed Price) was delivered end 1989 by the prime contractor MBB-ERNO it turned out that the costs were much higher than expected by ESA.

After several budget cuts (and cancellation of the CNES-led Hermes program), all that remained in the Columbus program was the APM, renamed to Columbus Orbital Facility (Note: later it was renamed to just Columbus being the present formal name); the polar platform was contracted separately with commonality to the French satellite HELIOS.

When only the APM was left in the program there were not enough tasks for the two main contributors Germany and Italy represented by MBB-ERNO and Alenia respectively. As compromise the PICA - Principle was invented meaning that Alenia as a Co-prime is responsible for the overall Columbus configuration and the mechanical and thermal/life support systems whereas EADS Astrium Space Transportation is responsible for the overall Columbus and all Avionics systems and software (Note: the company MBB-ERNO was renamed to Deutsche Aerospace then Daimler-Benz Aerospace then DaimlerChrysler Aerospace then Astrium then EADS SPACE Transportation and finally EADS Astrium Space Transportation).

The structure used is based on the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, a module built for NASA by Alenia Spazio. In 2000 the pre-integrated module (structure including harness and tubing) was delivered to Bremen in Germany by the Co-prime contractor Alenia. The final integration and system testing to be performed by the overall prime contractor EADS Astrium Space Transportation.

The final schedule was much longer than originally planned due to development problems (several caused by the complex responsibility splitting between the Co-prime and the Overall prime contractor) and design changes introduced by ESA but being affordable due to the Shuttle problems delaying the Columbus launch for several years. The main design change was the addition of the External Payload Facility (EPF), which was driven by the different European Payload organizations being more interested in outer space than internal experiments. Also the addition of a terminal for direct communications to/from ground, which could have been used also as back-up for the ISS system, was studied but not implemented for cost reasons.