For the coming months ESA, DLR and industrial teams will establish operational procedures, train the flight control teams, connect to all other centres of the ISS operations network and test the communication lines.  

From 2006 the Centre will control ESA's Columbus laboratory The Columbus Control Centre will see its first real-time operations in April next year, when the Italian ESA astronaut Roberto Vittori will visit the ISS for 10 days. An ESA/DLR team will control and command the scientific programme of the European experiments on board the ISS using the Columbus Control Centre for the first time.

Later in 2005 the Control Centre will provide communications support for the launch and in-orbit operations of ESA’s Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV). In 2006 it will control the operations of ESA’s Columbus laboratory once it is connected to the ISS.

 For further information on the Columbus Control Centre, please contact:

Robert Chesson Head of the Operations Department Directorate of Human Spaceflight Tel: +31 71 565 3341 Fax: + 31 71 565 6278