Columbus lab

Columbus is the cornerstone of Europe’s contribution to the International Space Station and is the first-ever European laboratory devoted to long-term research in space.

The module is equipped with 4 racks:

• Fluid Science Laboratory (FSL),
• Biolab (BIOlogical LABoratory),
• European Physiology Module (EPM),
• European Drawer Rack (EDR) for several experiments, among them was the Belgian PCDF (Protein Crystallization Diagnostics Facility)

External Experiment Facilities

Two external experiment facilities for Columbus will also be traveling in the cargo bay and will be attached onto the outside of the laboratory module during the STS-122 mission:

• SOLAR with three astronomic instruments
• EuTEF (European Technology Exposure Facility) for the study of materials in orbit

Columbus Control Center (Col-CC) in Oberpfaffenhofen (Germany), based on the premises of the DLR's space operations center (Deutsche Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfhart), is in charge of control/operations. The Center coordinates European experiment operations. 

ESA exhibition videoclip - Columbus (source :  ESA multimedia gallery )