Esa Bulletin May 1997 [antikvár]

tfSesa bulletin 90 - may 1997The Microgravity Facilities for Columbus ProgrammeG. Reibaldi, P. Behrmann, J. Ives, H. Mundorf P. ManieriMicrogravity Facilities for Columbus Division, ESA Directorate of Manned Spaceflight and Microgravity, ESTEC, Noordwljk, The NetherlandsIntroductionThe European participation in the International Space Station Programme was confirmed at the ESA Council Meeting at Ministerial Level In Toulouse In October 1995. In the framework of this participation, the Ministers approved several elements, including the development of the Columbus Orbital Facility (COF) and the programme to develop the facilities required for conducting microgravity experiments in the COF. The latter development effort Is known as the 'Microgravity Facilities for Columbus (MFC) Programme'.The Microgravity Facilities for Columbus Programme was formally initiated in January 1997. However, most of the necessary preparatory activities had already been started over the last few years, building on the Agency's more than two decades of experience in conducting microgravity experiments in space. The Programme is the main ESA contribution to the utilisation of the International Space Station and the experiments that will be carried out in its facilities will provide a much-needed boost to the European scientific community. Equally importantly, they will greatly increase the competitiveness of European Industry by fostering innovative research, which is a major priority for both ESA and the European Union as we approach the new millennium.Microgravity research covers a wide range of activities such as fundamental physics, solidification physics (e.g. crystal growth, metallurgy), physical chemistry, fluid science, biology, biotechnology, human physiology and medicine. Until 1996 the microgravity effort was funded only via the European Microgravity Research Programmes EMIR-1 and -2. In January 1997 the MFC programme has been initiated, complementing EMIR-2; it covers the development of a set of multi-user microgravity facilities to be accommodated In the International Space Station, i.e. In the Columbus Orbital Facility [COF] and, via Cooperative Agreements with NASA, In the US Laboratory. The objective of the MFC Programme is to have, following the launch of the COF, the four disciplines (i.e. material andfluid sciences, biology and human physiology) constantly present on the International Space Station to maximise the return to the European scientists (Fig. 1).The MFC Programme Is the most Important European contribution to the Space Station's utilisation and it will continue throughout the Station's lifetime, the first phase covering the years 1997 to 2003. It is anticipated that the Programme will give a strong boost to Europe-wide research and development efforts in the above-Identified fields, because of the novelty of the research to be carried out and the possibility to run long-term experiments on the Station rather than the short-term experiments typical of the earlier Spacelab missions.ProgrammaticsThe first phase of the MFC Programme (1997-2003) Includes:-the development of the following multi-user facilities:the Biolab, to be launched in the COFthe Fluid Science Laboratory (FSL), to be launched in the COFthe European Physiology Modules (EPMs), to be launched In the COFthe Material Science Laboratory (MSL), which will be composed of two facilities, one to be accommodated in the US Laboratory and one In the COF.Figure 2 shows the above facilities, together with their planned launch dates.-the development of experiment hardware related to the above multi-user facilities (e.g. experiment containers for Biolab and fluid science, cartridges for material science, etc.)-the preparation of the second-generation modules and facilities (e.g. another type of furnace, a bioreactor, new physiology equipment, upgraded diagnostics, etc.).