Columbus Laboratory: Development, Launch, and ISS Operations (1993–2024)

1. ESA approves Columbus programme start (1993–1995 phase)

   Feb 1, 1994Labels: Columbus Programme, ESA

   • ESA BR 114

2. Europe secures ISS access through “Early Delivery Items” barter

   Aug 1, 1995Labels: Early Delivery, ESA

   • ESA BR 114

3. ESA contracts DLR/GSOC to build Columbus Control Centre

   Jan 1, 1998Labels: DLR GSOC, Columbus Control

   • DLR eLib

4. Columbus Control Centre officially inaugurated in Germany

   Oct 19, 2004Labels: Columbus Control, DLR

   • ESA

5. Columbus laboratory completed and integrated in Bremen

   Apr 24, 2006Labels: Columbus Laboratory, Bremen

   • Phys org

6. Columbus delivered to Kennedy Space Center for launch processing

   May 30, 2006Labels: Kennedy Space, Columbus

   • ESA

7. Col-CC begins controlling ISS experiments during Reiter’s mission

   Jul 1, 2006Labels: Col-CC, ISS experiments

   • ESA

8. Columbus launches on Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-122)

   Feb 7, 2008Labels: STS-122, Columbus

   • NASA
   • NASA Elements

9. Columbus berthed to Harmony and becomes ISS module

   Feb 11, 2008Labels: Harmony Node, Columbus

   • NASA
   • ESA PR

10. Columbus hatch opened; commissioning phase begins

    Feb 12, 2008Labels: Columbus, Col-CC

    • ESA PR

11. SOLAR and EuTEF payloads installed on Columbus exterior

    Feb 15, 2008Labels: SOLAR payload, EuTEF

    • ESA Image

12. EuTEF removed after 18 months and returned to Earth

    Sep 12, 2009Labels: EuTEF, Space Shuttle

    • ESA PR

13. Columbus marks 10 years of on-orbit science operations

    Feb 7, 2018Labels: Columbus, ESA

    • NASA
    • NASA

14. Bartolomeo commercial external platform installed on Columbus

    Apr 1, 2020Labels: Bartolomeo, Columbus

    • Col EPF

15. Columbus reaches its 100,000th orbit milestone

    Sep 12, 2025Labels: Columbus, ESA

    • ESA Blog