 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Columbus Hatch Closed For Last Time
Paris, France (ESA) Oct 22, 2007 Preparations of the European Columbus laboratory took an important step earlier this week with the final closure of the module's hatch ahead of the December launch to the International Space Station. Although there was no formal ceremony to mark the occasion, the hatch closure is an important milestone for all involved. "This means we are 99% ready for flight," explains Bernardo Patti, ESA's Columbus Project Manager. "All the activities related to the pressurised volume are finished. The work left to be done on the exterior is considered to be minor." The 8-metre long Columbus laboratory is currently under preparation for flight at the Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC), in Florida. The team at KSC has worked hard over the past weeks to meet the schedule. "The last checkouts were completed - the module worked perfectly and all the health checks were successful," says Patti. After power shutdown the team performed a meticulous check of each zone inside the module. The hatch was then closed to 80%, leaving a gap to allow for final air purge, before being fully closed late on Tuesday afternoon. Patti: "The next time the hatch is opened will be in orbit, allowing the astronauts to enter the module for the very first time." Next up for Columbus is a Payload Readiness Review which is expected to give the green light for moving the module to the canister - a large container in which Columbus will be taken to the launch pad early in November ready to be placed inside the Space Shuttle's cargo bay. The European Columbus laboratory is the cornerstone of ESA's contribution to the ISS and the first European laboratory dedicated to long-term research in space. Columbus will be carried into orbit in the cargo bay of Space Shuttle Atlantis on the STS-122 mission, scheduled for launch on 6 December 2007. The STS-122 crew includes ESA astronauts Hans Schlegel and Leopold Eyharts. Eyharts will remain on the ISS for two months as a member of the Expedition 16 crew to oversee the in-orbit commissioning of Columbus and its experimental facilities. Related Links Human Spaceflight and Exploration at ESA Station at NASA Station and More at Roscosmos S.P. Korolev RSC Energia Watch NASA TV via Space.TV Space Station News at Space-Travel.Com
Expedition 15 Set To Return Home
Houston TX (SPX) Oct 21, 2007As Expedition 15 wraps up and prepares to return home, the Expedition 16 crew members are busy preparing for the arrival of space shuttle Discovery. At a change of command ceremony Friday afternoon, the Expedition 15 crew formally handed over command of the station to Expedition 16. Accepting command of the station from Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin, Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson remarked, "It's been a very impressive mission, and you guys have performed exceptionally." |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright Space.TV Corporation. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space.TV Corp on any Web page published or hosted by Space.TV Corp. Privacy Statement |
