Columbus Laboratory Installed on Space Station – nasa.gov: The International Space Station (ISS) has been equipped with a powerful new scientific laboratory. The Space Shuttle Atlantis delivered the Columbus Laboratory to the ISS and installed the seven meter long module over the past week. Columbus has ten racks for experiments that can be controlled from the station or the Columbus Control Center in Germany. The first set of experiments includes the Fluid Science Laboratory that will explore fluid properties in the microgravity of low Earth orbit, and Biolab which supports experiments on microorganisms. Future Columbus experiments include an atomic clock that will test minuscule timing effects including those expected by Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity. Pictured above, mission specialist Hans Schlegel works on the outside of Columbus. Scientists from all over the world may propose and carry out experiments to be done on the laboratory during its ten year mission.




  1. JimD says:

    The Space Labs Mission: “To seek out new funding, and go where no lab has gone before” !!!

  2. John Paradox says:

    There’s somebody on the wing!

    😉

    J/P=?

  3. McCullough says:

    Open the pod bay doors HAL…..HAL!

  4. Ed Roberts says:

    What does he have there, instructions?

    Insert Tab A into Slot B…

  5. eyeofthetiger says:

    Germans have cool moon boots.

  6. Hal 9000 says:

    ~Daisy Daisy~

  7. bobbo says:

    It just occurred to me, I’d like to see how a candle burns in zero-g. I’m guessing no tear drop flame pattern. What else could we break, blow up, or set on fire?

  8. Miguel says:

    It’s actually been an extremely successful and productive mission of the Space Shuttle Atlantis. You guys should be proud!

  9. Jim W. says:

    for bobbo:


    Floating flame balls.
  10. Awake says:

    Hey, another few billion dollars and we can get a new flavor of “Tang”. Aside from Hubble… what has been accomplished by the shuttle fleet in all these years except having people ride around in circles?

  11. moflaherty says:

    I just hope they hit the right satellite today. 🙂

  12. Sinn Fein says:

    Two Thoughts:

    1. Cats in Zero-G…damn, that’d be funny!

    2. “The first set of experiments includes the Fluid Science Laboratory that will explore fluid properties in the microgravity of low Earth orbit”

    So, what we’re REALLY talkin’ here is a microbrewery of un-Earthly German design…next, its OktoberOrbitFest!

  13. ECA says:

    11,
    its really a test shot..
    to see if they can ACTUALLY hit something.
    All the claims of the past, about being able to protect us from Ballistic missles, NOW we get to see how good they are.

  14. hhopper says:

    Here you go Sinn Fein, a Zero-G Cat:

  15. Sinn Fein says:

    THANKS hhopper!!! He didn’t look too happy to be gravity-free. And, its a very safe bet that his claws were clipped.


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