Since its launch in 2008, Columbus has been a cornerstone of European research in orbit, enabling hundreds of experiments and hosting astronauts from across the globe.
Explore the story behind this extraordinary module in our special Q&A, featuring facts, figures and highlights from nearly two decades of operations.
(All numbers as of 12 September 2025)
Q: What is Columbus and why is its 100 000th orbit significant?
A: Columbus is ESA’s science laboratory aboard the International Space Station. Completing 100 000 orbits marks nearly two decades of continuous European research in space, spanning millions of kilometres and hundreds of experiments.
Q: What exactly is an orbit and how is it defined for Columbus?
A: An orbit is a path through space that a satellite or spacecraft follows around a planet. Technically, any point along that path could be considered the “starting” point of an orbit. For satellites, this is usually defined as the moment after the final orbital insertion burn, when the satellite settles into its intended trajectory. Columbus presents a unique case. Even if it was launched independently aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis, it was added to the already-orbiting International Space Station. As a result, its orbits are calculated in conjunction with the Space Station, starting from the moment Columbus was attached and became part of the Station’s orbital path. Orbiting at 28 800 km/h and approximately 400 km above Earth, Columbus, together with the Space Station, completes one orbit roughly every 90 minutes.
Q: When was Columbus launched and what does it do?
A: Columbus was launched on 7 February 2008 onboard NASA’s Space Shuttle Atlantis from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral. It hosts 10 experiment racks where scientists conduct research in fluid physics, human physiology, materials science and more. Each rack is the size of a telephone booth and can host autonomous and independent laboratories, complete with power and cooling systems. As of 12 September 2025, Columbus has travelled approximately 4.26 billion kilometres over 100 000 orbits, spending 6427 days in space since its launch.
Launch of space shuttle Atlantis STS-122
Q: Who built the Columbus module?
A: The Columbus module was designed and constructed by Airbus, acting as the prime contractor for the project. It was developed across multiple European sites and represents a major achievement in international engineering, integrating thousands of components into a single system that had to work seamlessly with the larger International Space Station.
Q: What were some of the biggest engineering challenges in building Columbus?
A: Engineers had to integrate thousands of components across multiple disciplines—structural, electrical, thermal, and human systems—while ensuring compatibility with the International Space Station. The module also had to withstand extreme environmental conditions, including temperature swings from +120°C to -150°C and exposure to radiation and micrometeoroids.
ESA astronaut Hans Schlegel works on Columbus exterior during the second spacewalk of the STS-122 mission. Credits: ESA/NASA
Q: Some technical facts about Columbus
A:
- Length: 6.871 m
- Inner diameter: 4.215 m
- Outer diameter: 4.477 m
- Room volume: 75 m³
- Primary structure mass: 6800 kg
- Launch mass: 12,700 kg (including up to 2500 kg of initial payload)
- Water fluid: 100 kg
- Electrical Power Distribution System: 182 kg
- Data Management Subsystem: 265 kg
- Micrometeoroid Debris Protection System (MDPS): 750 kg (heaviest subsystem)
Q: Who operates Columbus?
A: The Columbus Control Centre (Col-CC), run by the German Aerospace Center DLR in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany, manages Columbus operations. As the primary operations centre for Columbus, Col-CC ensures the smooth operations of the laboratory, supports European astronauts and coordinates the execution of scientific experiments onboard. The team is responsible for mission planning, real-time operations, ground segment, monitoring and controlling of the Columbus subsystems and overall real-time mission coordination, crew safety and mission success, via the Columbus Flight Director and the Flight and Ground Control teams.
ESA’s Columbus Control Centre, or Col-CC, located at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) facility in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany. Credit: ESA
Q: What are some of the most complex operations the Col-CC team has managed?
A: The Columbus Control Centre has played a key role in several major milestones. In 2008, the team oversaw the installation and initial activation of the Columbus module on the International Space Station, marking the beginning of Europe’s permanent laboratory in orbit. In 2021, they supported a spacewalk to install the COLKa antenna, which improved data transmission capabilities, and the Bartolomeo platform, which expanded Columbus’s external payload hosting options. In 2023, the team executed a complex modernisation of the Data Management System. This required precise coordination between ground teams and astronauts to safely deactivate and reactivate multiple onboard systems.
Q: How many shifts has Col-CC run since launch?
A: Each day at Col-CC is divided into three shifts—Orbit 1, Orbit 2 and Orbit 3. Despite their names, these shifts are not tied to a single Space Station orbit but instead last eight hours each. Every shift is staffed by a dedicated team, ensuring continuous coverage 24/7. Over the course of 6427 days in space (as of 12 September 2025), the centre has operated 19 280 shifts, with teams collectively working 154 248 hours to support Columbus operations.
STS-122/1E Columbus Launch, 07-Feb-2008, Col-CC, Control Room K4, Oberpfaffenhofen Columbus Launch and Docking. Control Room K4, Col-CC, Oberpfaffenhofen. Feb 2008. Credits: DLR
Q: How many European astronauts have worked inside Columbus?
A: Columbus has welcomed astronauts from a wide range of backgrounds. Since its launch, 16 ESA astronauts from 10 ESA member states have worked inside the module: Hans Schlegel, Léopold Eyharts, Frank De Winne, Christer Fuglesang, Paolo Nespoli, Roberto Vittori, André Kuipers, Luca Parmitano, Alexander Gerst, Samantha Cristoforetti, Andreas Mogensen, Tim Peake, Thomas Pesquet, Matthias Maurer, Marcus Wandt, Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski. In addition to European astronauts, Columbus has also hosted crew members from the United States, Canada, Japan and others. Apart from working in Columbus, some astronauts have even used the module as a temporary living space, sleeping inside the CASA crew quarter.
Sleeping crew quarters in Columbus. Credits: ESA– M. Maurer
Q: What kind of science is conducted in Columbus?
A: Columbus is a highly versatile laboratory designed to support a wide range of scientific disciplines. It has been used to conduct experiments in areas as diverse as cold plasma technology, 3D metal printing, and the study of how space affects the human body and brain. Its microgravity environment allows scientists to explore phenomena not possible on Earth, with applications that benefit both spaceflight and life on the ground. Over 250 experiments have been conducted in fields like astrobiology, metallurgy, and psychology, and many more are planned. Most experiments in Columbus involve a mix of automation and crew interaction—some are operated remotely from the ground, while others are handled directly by astronauts onboard.
ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti working on the ESA/DLR Surface Avatar experiments testing teleoperation of the Justin robot with a slick haptic interface (“force feedback”) and different degrees of robot autonomy. Credits: ESA – S.Cristoforetti
Q: How many experiments are currently active in Columbus?
A: Today, Columbus hosts 21 active experiments—13 from ESA and 8 from NASA. However, this number changes daily depending on crew schedules and scientific priorities. During the current mission phase, known as Increment 73, which spans roughly eight months, more than 50 different experiments have either been planned or executed. Increment periods are how the overall Space Station mission is divided into manageable operational segments.
Q: What about student-led experiments?
A: The AstroPi programme alone has involved over 163 000 students, allowing them to run their code on the Space Station.
ESA project astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski during an educational recording on the International Space Station. Credits: ESA
Q: What kind of data comes from Columbus?
A: Columbus sends back a wide range of data. Telemetry allows ground teams to monitor and control the module’s systems in real time. Scientific data comes in many forms—from raw measurements and crew questionnaires to high-resolution images and video recordings. Voice and video links are also essential, enabling communication with astronauts and supporting outreach activities such as live calls with schools or public events.
Columbus module decorated with the Danish and Swedish flags. Credits: ESA – M. Wandt
Q: How has Columbus influenced other space programmes?
A: Columbus set a benchmark for European space engineering. Its technologies and design principles have directly influenced programmes such as the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), the Orion European Service Module (ESM), and future concepts for habitable volumes in space.
Special thanks to the experts who contributed their insights and information for this feature:
Thomas Neil Sheasby, LEO Missions and Project Team Leader at ESA
Joao Lousada, ISS Operations Service Lead at Col-CC for ESA
Sergio Palumberi, ISS Increment Manager at ESA
Katja Leuoth, ISS and Gateway Operations Engineer at ESA
German Zoeschinger, Columbus Mission Operations Service Management at DLR
Linda Holl, Columbus Flight Director at DLR
Mathias Albrecht, Columbus Programme Manager at Airbus
Stefan Petschelt, Columbus System Chief Engineer at Airbus