CAPE
CANAVERAL, Fla. — Europe's bus-sized science lab will soon make its zero-gravity
debut after the launch of NASA's space shuttle Atlantis tomorrow, weather
permitting.
Atlantis
will ferry the 10.3-ton
module to the International Space Station (ISS), where astronauts will attach
it and make way for space-based science experiments throughout the next seven
years. NASA intended Columbus to reach orbit in early December, but the agency postponed
its launch to address problems with fuel gauge-like sensors in Atlantis'
external fuel tank.
"We're
really looking forward to getting Columbus on orbit to become an on-orbit
member of the space station club," said Alan Thirkettle, ISS program
manager for the European Space Agency (ESA). He noted that getting two ESA
astronauts — Hans Schlegel and Leopold Eyharts — into space with the module will
also be a moment of triumph.
"They're
a real focal point not just of excitement but for inspiration as well,"
Thirkettle said, noting that children across Europe are closely following the
STS-122 mission.
If inclement
weather prompts mission managers to postpone Atlantis' space shot at
2:45 p.m. EST (1945 GMT) tomorrow, Columbus
will hitch a ride into orbit Friday or Saturday afternoon.
Zero-gravity
lab
Columbus, which looks somewhat like an
over-sized aluminum can, boasts about 2,648 cubic feet (75 cubic meters) of
space within its polished shell. Thirkettle explained that this volume accommodates
16 phone-booth racks as well as four
platforms outside.
"We
get a lot of bang for our buck with the launch," Thirkettle said. The ESA spent about 880 million Euros ($1.3 billion) to build the lab.
Thirkettle couldn't say how many
scientists hope to perform experiments vicariously through on-station astronauts,
but did say there will be "a lot."
"We
will, in fact, be getting science back from the Columbus laboratory data back
within a week or 10 days of it's launching," he said. "That's
something we're very excited and very pleased about."
Some
assembly required
Commanded
by Stephen Frick, the seven-astronaut crew of the STS-122
mission will help piece Columbus together next week.
Mission
specialist Rex Walheim will lead the assembly tasks during three planned
spacewalks, two of which are dedicated to Columbus assembly.
ESA
astronaut Hans Schlegel will assist Walheim on the
first spacewalk to snugly attach the lab to the Harmony module, also known
as Node 2. Mission specialist Stan Love will help Walheim outfit Columbus' two
external experiments and other devices on the third spacewalk.
Pilot Alan
Poindexter and mission specialist Leland Melvin will join Frick
and the other astronauts during their 11-day mission.
Thirkettle
said he can't wait for the orbital work to commence.
"It'll
be nice to be part of the European Space Agency," Thirkettle said. "We've
been part of a 'European Ground Agency' for a long time, as far as [the] space
station is concerned."
NASA
will broadcast Atlantis' STS-122 mission live on NASA TV. Click here for SPACE.com's
STS-122 mission coverage and NASA TV feed.
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