r bulletin 102 — may 2000 3rd Space Station ESA, together with a European industrial Element to be Launched consortium headed by DaimlerChrysler (D) and including Belgian, Dutch and French NASA and the Russian Aviation and partners, was responsible for the design, Space Agency (Rosaviakosmos) plan that development and delivery of the core data the next component of the International management system, which provides Space Station (ISS) – the Zvezda service Zvezda’s main computer. module – will be launched on 12 July from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. ESA also has a contract with Rosaviakosmos and RSC-Energia for Following a Joint Programme Review and performing system and interface a General Designers’ Review in Moscow, it integration tasks required for docking with was agreed that Zvezda (Russian for Zvezda by ESA’s Automated Transfer ‘star’) will be launched by a Proton rocket Vehicle (ATV), which will be used for ISS with the second and third stage engines re-boost and logistics support missions In Brief modified to increase engine reliability. from 2003 onwards. Through its ATV industrial consortium led by Aerospatiale Zvezda will provide the early living quarters Matra Lanceurs (F), ESA is also procuring for ISS crew, together with the life sup- some Russian hardware and software for port, electrical power distribution, data use with the ATV. management, flight control, and propul- sion systems for the ISS. On the scientific side, ESA has concluded contracts with Rosaviakosmos and RSC- Energia for the conduct of scientific experiments on Zvezda, including the Global Timing System (GTS) and a radiobiology experiment (called Matroshka) to monitor and analyse radiation doses in ISS crew. Cooperation on further scientific experiments to be conducted on the Russian segment of the ISS is continuing with Rosaviakosmos and Russia’s IBMP (Institute for Biomedical Research). r Zvezda (left-most module) is the third infrastructure element of the International Space Station (ESA/D. Ducros) Zvezda integration at the Baikonur Cosmodrome 156 in brief Synergies and programme. The main thrust of this effort € 700 million. On that basis, the ministers Cooperation Save was to make Columbus a four-rack module, responsible for space gathered in similar in length to the ASI Multi-Purpose Toulouse in November 1995 were able to on European Logistics Module (MPLM), in order to approve the overall ISS programme. Contribution to the ISS radically reduce the programme’s design and operational costs. Alenia Spazio, as the MPLM prime At a ceremony held on 14 April at Alenia contractor, manufactured the structure Spazio in Turin, Italy, the Columbus flight In the second half of 1994, and into 1995, and performed ECLSS integration for the structure was handed over to ESA by ASI ESA and ASI reached an agreement Multi-Purpose Logistics Module under ASI (Italian Space Agency). On the same whereby they would cooperate both contract; DASA-Dornier, as the ECLSS occasion, the Environmental Control and generally on the development of subcontractor for Columbus, was Life Support Subsystem (ECLSS) pressurised modules and specifically on entrusted with ECLSS development and ownership transfer from ESA to ASI was two particular cases. The essence of this verification under a contract with ESA. The formalised. agreement was that: industrial activities were jointly controlled by ESA and ASI. Columbus, the cornerstone of ESA's – ESA would design and verify an contribution to the International Space Environmental Control and Life Support In addition to these specific joint Station, is a scientific laboratory scheduled Subsystem which would satisfy the developments, further synergies were for launch in 2004. Astronauts from requirements of both the MPLM and found. Alenia Spazio became the prime Europe and elsewhere will be able to use the Columbus laboratory, and would contractor for ISS Nodes-2 and -3, a the laboratory to conduct material deliver to ASI engineering models, three contract managed by ASI on behalf of sciences, medicine, biology and sets of flight hardware, some spares ESA, the price of which is being used to technology experiments, many eventually and the ground support equipment for offset the launch costs of the Columbus leading to benefits in commercial the MPLM. ESA would then use this laboratory by NASA's Space Shuttle. processes or everyday life on Earth. equipment for its Columbus module. European industry is thus developing hardware for the Station using ESA funds, rather than ESA paying NASA in dollars for the launch of Columbus. Alenia Spazio is also the contractor for the pressurised Carrier part of the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) which, launched atop Ariane-5, will be used as a 'ferry' vehicle for payload, propellant, fresh food and general provisions. This agreement has also fostered an increasing use of common subcontractors (and hence common design principles) for the Columbus and Node harnesses and Mechanical Ground Support Equipment (OHB, Germany) and Thermal Control Subsystems (Microtecnica, Italy), further The ECLSS, composed of fans, heat – ASI, which was already developing the improving the cost-efficiency of European exchangers, sensors and motorised and MPLM, would supply ESA with a flight human spaceflight projects. These pneumatic valves, all operated and unit primary structure for Columbus synergies will continue into the operational monitored via the onboard computer, based on that of the MPLM, and would phase, in terms of integration, payload provides comfortable working conditions provide the MPLM qualification data to operation and logistics activities. inside the space laboratories. In particular, enable ESA to qualify Columbus on the the system controls temperature, humidity basis of commonality, thereby avoiding The final ECLSS equipment and the and ventilation, regulates atmospheric the need for a separate qualification Columbus primary structure were delivered pressure, detects fire and monitors test model. in March/April. Much of the ECLSS contamination of the living environment. hardware is already at NASA/Kennedy Thanks to this agreement, both Agencies Space Center awaiting the first launch of Prior to the ESA Council meeting at would avoid duplicating high development the MPLM Leonardo, currently planned for ministerial level in Toulouse in November costs and would help save roughly February 2001, but several tonnes of 1995, it had seemed that approval of € 70 million of taxpayers’ money. Further ECLSS and structure equipment can still European participation in the ISS would be reductions arising from the downsizing of be viewed in Turin, together with other impossible to obtain, owing to the excessive the Columbus laboratory enabled the elements of ASI and Alenia Spazio's price of the proposed programme. In mid- Columbus part of the ESA ISS contribution to the development of the 1994, ESA had embarked on a serious development programme to be literally International Space Station. r 'design-to-cost' exercise to revive the halved in price, down to approximately 157 r bulletin 102 — may 2000 Physics on Stage competitions will select some of the best Europe. CERN is delighted to take part in and most convincing new ideas for this collaboration between the European Physics is everywhere. The laws of presentations and educational materials Community and the continent's three physics govern the Universe, the Sun, the which will receive development support leading physics research organisations." Earth and even our own lives. In today’s from the programme. rapidly developing society, we are Catherine Cesarsky (ESO): "Astronomy becoming increasingly dependent on high The project will culminate in November and astrophysics are at the very heart of technology – computers, transport and 2000, with approximately 400 delegates modern physics. As vibrant research communication are just some of the key converging at CERN for the 'Physics on disciplines they use the most advanced areas that are the result of discoveries by Stage' conference. The conference will technology available to humanity to scientists working in physics. enable the national competition winners, explore the cosmos. It is also a science of science teachers, science communicators, extreme conditions – the largest But how much does the average person publishers, top scientists and high-level distances, the longest periods of time, the really know about physics? There is now a representatives of the ministries and highest temperatures, the strongest unique opportunity to learn more about European organisations to brainstorm electrical and magnetic fields, the highest this elusive subject! Three major European solutions to bolster the popularity of and lowest densities and the most research establishments have organised a physics. The conference will also include extreme energies. The cosmos is indeed unique Europe-wide programme to raise spectacular demonstrations of educational the greatest physics laboratory. For years, public awareness of physics and related tools, the best of which will be disse- ESO - Europe's Astronomy Organisation - sciences. minated over national TV networks and has been engaged in communicating the other media to the European public. outcome of the exciting research 'Physics on Stage' was launched in programmes carried out at the ESO February by ESA, CERN (European Statements by the Directors General observatories to a wide audience and in Laboratory for Particle Physics) and ESO of ESA, CERN, and ESO particular to Europe's youth. I warmly