The SOLAR Mission
The COLUMBUS laboratory is the cornerstone of ESA’s contribution to the International Space Station. It is a permanently attached, pressurised laboratory allowing astronauts to work in a comfortable and safe environment. Columbus will support very sophisticated research in weightlessness for at least 10 years by providing accommodation for experiments in the life and physical sciences, space science, Earth observation,and technology domains.
In addition, on the outboardside of laboratory, the Columbus External Payload Facility (CEPF) provides up to four payload platforms for experiments, which are directly exposed to space.
The Laboratory Module has been developed for ESA under the Prime Contractorship of EADS-ST in Bremen, Germany, with a major contribution from Alenia Spazio of Turin, Italy.
The external payloads are mounted on the Columbus External Payload Adapter (CEPA). SOLAR payload is one these external payloads, which the baseline position is the Zenith side.
COLUMBUS European Module and the External Payloads