The European Columbus space laboratory set to reach ISS; follow the launch live

ESA PR 35-2007. With NASA’s announcement today of the launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis on 6 December, ESA astronauts Hans Schlegel, from Germany, and Leopold Eyharts, from France, are set to carry ESA’s Columbus laboratory to the International Space Station.

Atlantis is now scheduled to lift off from launch pad 39-A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida at 22:31 CET. Docking with the ISS is scheduled for the third day of the mission (Saturday 8 December at 19:14 CET). Landing is currently scheduled to take place on Monday 17 December at 18:29 CET.

ESA’s Columbus laboratory is the most important European mission to the ISS to date and the cornerstone of Europe’s contribution to this international endeavour. Once Columbus is launched, assembled to the Space Station and verified, ESA will become an active partner in the operations and utilization of mankind’s only permanent outpost in space.

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reply to post by Enceladus


Nice article that you linked. Informative, in that we seem to have another glitzy PR group running this. Much like NASA itself.

I'm not bashing them, I just wish that the space effort didn't feel the need to make their work look like a Hollywood production.

Give us the science and leave the Madison Avenue selling of yourself out of it.

reply to post by NGC2736


well said, it is a shame as the article is well informative,

its like the nasa site .....its now all glitzy and hollywood !!

snoopyuk

Originally posted by NGC2736
reply to post by Enceladus

 

Nice article that you linked. Informative, in that we seem to have another glitzy PR group running this. Much like NASA itself.
I'm not bashing them, I just wish that the space effort didn't feel the need to make their work look like a Hollywood production.
Give us the science and leave the Madison Avenue selling of yourself out of it.

Take it easy. Public at large won't understand much science. It needs to be explained in layman's terms. And that's what they do.

I liked picture of equipment racks on the Columbus. What are they, double width 19" racks?

The automated EU supply ship is also big news (if it works). The Soviets did it a long time ago but it's nice to have something modern. All in all, the space program seems to be going at a fairly steady pace.

NASA clears shuttle Atlantis for Thursday launch to space station

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA has cleared the shuttle Atlantis for liftoff this week on a long-delayed mission to deliver a European science lab to the international space station.

Space agency officials said Tuesday they are confident they've solved mechanical problems that have dogged the mission since December. However, weather prospects for Thursday afternoon's launch are poor: a forecast for rain offers just a 40 percent chance of favorable conditions.

Launch director Doug Lyons said the countdown was going well, and “we're hoping it will stay that way.”

“We're all thinking that Thursday's the day regardless of what the weather guy might tell you,” he said.

Source

Atlantis Set for Liftoff After Fixes