* Astronomy

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RE: ESApod

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Columbus, with its planned operational lifetime of ten years, is Europe's first laboratory for long-term research in space conditions. Scientific experiments will be performed on board in the weightlessness of orbit. Once in orbit, Columbus will be taken out of the cargo bay by the Shuttles robotic arm. The European laboratory will then be moved to the Italian-built Node 2 connector, where it will be permanently fixed to the Station. Each rack inside Columbus is a laboratory in its own right. Experiments in life sciences, physiology and physics can all be carried out within the one structure. These facilities are pre-installed inside Columbus so experiments can start immediately after it arrives at the ISS. Experiments can also be mounted outside Columbus, to examine the effects of exposure to the space environment. Two such experiments will be launched along with the laboratory.

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Hans Schlegel prepares for Columbus Mission

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ESA astronaut Leopold Eyharts ready to make space history

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RE: ESApod

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Rosetta, ESA's comet-chasing spacecraft, is due to swing-by Earth tomorrow, 13 November, making closest approach at 21:57 CET. The next three days promise to be intensely busy at ESOC, ESA's Space Operations Centre, in Darmstadt, Germany. On 12 November, ESApod spoke with Andrea Accomazzo, the Spacecraft Operations Manager, who provided an update on the team work going on at ESOC and the support being provided by ESA's New Norcia ESTRACK ground station and by NASA's deep-space network. At 19:00 CET (18:00 UTC) tonight, Rosetta will be 920 000 km from the Earth, approaching at 9.4 km/second relative to our planet.

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Rosetta swung by Earth in March 2005 and Mars in February 2007. As it approaches its home planet once again, the spacecraft will have travelled more than 3000 million kilometres since launch in 2004. At ESA's Space Operations Centre (ESOC), in Darmstadt, Germany, mission controllers have made the final adjustments to Rosetta's trajectory in preparation for the swing-by. The highest priority is being given to spacecraft operations, as the manoeuvre is critical for the success of the mission. However, and despite the unfavourable illumination conditions due to the positions of the Sun and the Earth, a few experiments both on the orbiter and the Philae Lander will be activated for calibration, scientific measurements and imaging. The observations are scheduled during and around the time of closest approach, from 7 Nov, 01:00 CET, to 20 Nov, 15:00 CET. Rosetta will first point to Earth to observe the atmosphere and the magnetosphere, and it will also look for shooting stars from space. It will image urban regions in Asia, Africa and Europe and then point to the Moon and obtain spectra of the illuminated Moon. Flying away after closest approach, Rosetta will image the Earth-Moon system from a distance.

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ESA's Columbus Control Centre in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany, made its successful debut as an ISS control centre in 2006, scheduling and controlling the scientific experiments conducted by ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter during the hugely successful Astrolab mission. With delivery of Europe's space laboratory Columbus to the ISS set for December 2007, flight controllers at 'Col CC' will become responsible not only for scientific experiments but also for a complete laboratory of the International Space Station, with operations running 24 hours/day, 7 days/week. The Columbus Control Centre is operated on behalf of ESA by DLR, the German Aerospace Centre, and the flight control team is composed of dedicated specialists from DLR, ESA and industry. The team is supervised by Columbus Mission Directors of the European Space Agency.

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During a 10-day stay at the Space Station, Paolo Nespoli will coordinate three spacewalks from inside the ISS during which Harmony will be installed. He will also be carrying out experiments on behalf of ESA and of the Italian Space Agency (ASI). In return for Europe providing high-tech nodes for the Space Station, NASA will soon be carrying the European Columbus Laboratory into orbit. Columbus, ESA's most important contribution to the ISS so far, will be used for science experiments and to prepare for the exploration of the Moon and Mars.The conference was organised by ESA`s Technology Transfer Programme which promotes the use and transfer of space technology and materials to non-space sectors. The European Space Technology Conference 2007 took place as part of the Materialica Trade Fair which focuses on new materials. The scope was to attract in particular industry in that field to take a closer look at the potential of space-developed technologies and materials. More than 40 successful examples were presented by 21 speakers illustrating the adventurous and profitable solutions provided by space tech in many different industrial sectors: automotive, medical, energy, textile, security and robotics.

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The conference was organised by ESA`s Technology Transfer Programme which promotes the use and transfer of space technology and materials to non-space sectors. The European Space Technology Conference 2007 took place as part of the Materialica Trade Fair which focuses on new materials. The scope was to attract in particular industry in that field to take a closer look at the potential of space-developed technologies and materials. More than 40 successful examples were presented by 21 speakers illustrating the adventurous and profitable solutions provided by space tech in many different industrial sectors: automotive, medical, energy, textile, security and robotics.

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