Columbus: ready for the International Space Station.

One of the key contributions to the development and operation of the International Space Station (ISS) is ESA's Columbus Laboratory Module. It will be transported to the ISS, together with its payload complement, on Space Shuttle Assembly Flight 1E in 2006. Columbus's readiness for launch requires the availability not only of the Module itself, but also three other major elements being provided by ESA, namely: the Ground Segment, consisting of the Columbus Control Centre and the User Support and Operations Centres (USOCs), the Operations products, and the Crew Training.