European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Hans Schlegel, STS-122 mission specialist, dons a training version of the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) spacesuit prior to being submerged in the waters of the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) near Johnson Space Center. Jerry L. Ross, Chief, Vehicle Integration Test Office, assisted Schlegel.
Credit: NASA.
The large training-pool at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) – length: 62 metres, width: 31 metres, depth: 12 meter, capacity: 22.7 million litres.
Exterior view of the European Columbus laboratory.
Credit: EADS.
ESA astronauts Léopold Eyharts (left) and Hans Schlegel (right) in front of the Columbus laboratory in the NASA integration hall known as the Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF) at the Kennedy Space Center. Columbus is being prepared for the launch of mission STS-122.
Credit: ESA.
Inside the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, an overhead crane is lowered onto the Columbus module to lift it out of its transportation canister. Columbus is the European Space Agency's research laboratory for the International Space Station. The module will be moved to a work stand and prepared for delivery to the space station on a future space shuttle mission. Columbus will expand the research facilities of the station and provide researchers with the ability to conduct numerous experiments in the area of life, physical and materials sciences.
Inside of Columbus-Module, artist impression.
STS-122 astronauts (kneeling) and support team with the European Columbus laboratory inside the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Columbus is under preparation in the SSPF for launch into orbit with Space Shuttle Atlantis on flight STS-122.
European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Léopold Eyharts (foreground), Expedition 16 flight engineer; astronaut Stanley G. Love and ESA astronaut Hans Schlegel, both STS-122 mission specialists, participate in a training session in one of the full-scale trainers in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at Johnson Space Center. Attired in training versions of their shuttle launch and entry suits, the three are seated on the middeck for a post insertion/de-orbit training session. Eyharts is scheduled to join Expedition 16 as flight engineer after launching to the International Space Station on mission STS-122.
The STS-122 crewmembers don training versions of their shuttle launch and entry suits in preparation for a training session in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at the Johnson Space Center. From the left are astronauts Stephen N. Frick, commander; Alan G. Poindexter, pilot; Leland D. Melvin, Rex J. Walheim, European Space Agency's (ESA) Hans Schlegel and Stanley G. Love, all mission specialists. United Space Alliance (USA) suit technicians assisted the crew.
The space shuttle Atlantis STS-122 crew poses for a group portrait at Launch Pad 39A as Atlantis undergoes final preparations for launch behind them. From left are Mission Specialists Hans Schlegel, Rex Walheim and Leland Melvin; Pilot Alan Poindexter; Commander Steve Frick; and Mission Specialists Stanley Love and Léopold Eyharts. Schlegel and Eyharts are with the European Space Agency. Eyharts remained on the International Space Station as a flight engineer for Expedition 16 following the STS-122 mission.
Right up to the last moment on 7 February 2008, it was uncertain if the weather conditions in Cape Canaveral in Florida would allow the launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis at all. By launch time, at 14:45 (20:45 Central European Time), the clouds dispersed and NASA cleared the shuttle launch for mission STS-122. This mission brought the European research laboratory Columbus to the ISS.
Credit: NASA/Sandra Joseph, Tony Gray, Robert Murray.