Preparations of the European Columbus laboratory took an important step on 16 October 2007 with the final closure of the module’s hatch ahead of the December launch to the International Space Station.

The European Columbus laboratory is the cornerstone of ESA’s contribution to the ISS and the first European laboratory dedicated to long-term research in space. Columbus will be carried into orbit in the cargo bay of Space Shuttle Atlantis on the STS-122 mission, scheduled for launch on 6 December 2007.