The next step is to transfer Columbus and the external payload carrier by canister to Space Shuttle Atlantis, where they will be mounted into the cargo bay in the second week of November. After a month the space laboratory will be launched into space. Once on board the Station, ESA astronaut Léopold Eyharts will support the activation and check out of Columbus and its experiment facilities. Although Columbus is smaller in length than the other modules of the ISS, it offers the same number of racks for research as the American and Japanese laboratories and all initial internal and external payloads are launched together with the module, thereby saving extra launches, time and expense.
ESApod video programme

In his weekly radio address President Bush said, “I went to Southern California with a message: We want you to know the country cares for you. We’re concerned about you, your neighborhoods, and your homes. Things may look dismal now, but there is a better day ahead. And we will not forget you in Washington, D.C.”

During a 10-day stay at the Space Station, Paolo Nespoli will coordinate three spacewalks from inside the ISS during which Harmony will be installed. He will also be carrying out experiments on behalf of ESA and of the Italian Space Agency (ASI).
In return for Europe providing high-tech nodes for the Space Station, NASA will soon be carrying the European Columbus Laboratory into orbit. Columbus, ESA’s most important contribution to the ISS so far, will be used for science experiments and to prepare for the exploration of the Moon and Mars.
ESApod video programme

One hundred business professionals are gathering to learn how space technologies have provided innovative solutions in non-space applications and to discuss their further potential. The conference is being organised by ESA’s Technology Transfer Programme, which promotes the use and transfer of space technology and materials to non-space sectors. The European Space Technology Conference 2007 is taking place as part of the Materialica Trade Fair, which focuses on new materials. The venue will enable industry from that field to take a closer look at the potential of space-developed technologies and materials. More than 40 successful case studies are being presented by 21 speakers illustrating the profitable solutions provided by space technology in multiple industrial sectors, including: automotive, medical, energy, textile, security and robotics.
ESApod video programme

In his weekly radio address President Bush said, “As Americans, we’ve been given a beautiful country to live in, and we have an obligation to be good stewards of the environment. With the cooperative conservation policies we have put in place, we show our commitment to preserving our Nation’s heritage. By making responsible choices today, we will ensure that our children and grandchildren will enjoy a cleaner and more vibrant environment.”