Columbus (ISS module)

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File:ISS Columbus module.jpg
Computer generated model of Columbus on the station

Columbus is a science laboratory designed to be a part of the International Space Station. Contracted by ESA, with EADS 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. Launch is set for 2007 on STS-122, the ninth Shuttle flight after Return to Flight.

However, NASA is now studying scenarios where Columbus (as well as the Japanese laboratory module) is removed from the Shuttle manifest and transferred to the future heavy lift launch vehicle derived from the Shuttle. Whether this is acceptable from a technical and budgetary standpoint for ESA remains to be seen.

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 with Flight 1E, it will subsequently be attached at the Node 2's starboard side, with the cylinder pointing outwards. The hatch is located in the port cone, most on-board computers in the starboard cone. The module contains 10 International Standard Payload Racks (ISPRs). 4 racks are located on the forward side, 4 on the aft side, 2 are in overhead locations. 3 deck racks are filled with life support and cooling systems, the remaining deck rack and 2 overhead racks are storage racks. Additional 4 Payloads can be attached as external payloads outside the port cone.

The following ISPR payloads will be initially installed inside Columbus:

External payloads mounted on Columbus include:

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 APM configuration and the mechanical and thermal/life support systems whereas EADS SPACE Transportation is responsible for the overall APM and all Avionics systems and software (Note: the company MBB-ERNO was renamed to DaimlerBenz Aerospace then DaimlerCrysler Aerospace then Astrium and finally to EADS 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 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 APM 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.

Specifications

  • Length: 6.871 m
  • Diameter: 4.487 m
  • Mass without payload: 10300 kg
  • Total mass (incl payloads): 19300 kg
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