The Columbus mission – assembly in space

In February 2008, the astronauts of the STS-122 mission installed the Columbus space laboratory in its final position on the International Space Station ISS. This gallery shows how the ISS' robotic arm lifts the space laboratory from the loading bay of the Space Shuttle Atlantis and moves it onto the Harmony module (Node 2). Further extra-vehicular activities, including one in which ESA astronaut Hans Schlegel participated, were aimed at performing maintenance on the ISS.

Space laboratory Columbus on the ISS robotic arm	Columbus space laboratory being unloaded in space	NASA astronaut Rex Walheim attaches Columbus to the ISS
Installation of Columbus onto the International Space Station ISS	Space laboratory Columbus en route to its final position	Léopold Eyharts, Leland Melvin and Daniel Tani on the ISS
Preparing the second extra-vehicular activity	German ESA astronaut Hans Schlegel during the extra-vehicular activity	NASA astronaut Rex Walheim on the ISS robotic arm
Working in space – Hans Schlegel during his extra-vehicular activity	The International Space Station ISS and the Earth as a sickle	ESA astronaut Hans Schlegel during extra-vehicular activity on the ISS
German astronaut Hans Schlegel at the Columbus laboratory	Climbing practice while weightless	Astronauts Hans Schlegel and Rex Walheim during their extra-vehicular activity
Space Shuttle Atlantis docked to the ISS	Third extra-vehicular activity during the Columbus mission	Job done! - NASA astronaut Rex Walheim steps out into space for the third time