Columbus is already flying by Barbora Misakova

Few weeks ago some of the NASA's scientists thought Columbus will have problems with getting onto space station because of bad weather which threatened the U.S. for many weeks. Today the most important news from NASA is that $2 billion Columbus reached international space station on Monday. This mission with 23-foot and 14-ton laboratory ferried up by Atlantis had the grand finale and its arrival was commented as "beautiful work". This mission was very important especially for European Space Agency which planned to launch the Columbus many years ago. Laboratory was supposed to fly out for the first time in 1992 but according to serious problems the launch was delayed. Columbus was prepared for flight in 1992 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the sailing of Christopher Columbus. Now it points also on the bravery of men and great human skills achieved on the field of science. Columbus is outfitted with biolab which will support various experiments on micro-organisms, cells and also tissue cultures. Under the name "The European Physiology Modules Facility" will Columbus making the set of experiments which should investigate effects of long-duration spaceflight on the human body which could lead to understanding of age-related bone loss or balance disorders. The Fluid Science Laboratory will make experiments on weightless liquids. These researches could help in the future for example with better and more effective cleaning oil spills or improve manufacture of optical lenses. Before accommodating all these experiments Columbus will have to be linked with Harmony station what is one of the most important mission now. First spacewalk was performed on Monday when Walheim and Love removed protective covers from the shuttle and plugged the robot arm. All this work took them 8 hours, and others spacewalks are planned on Wednesday and Friday. Columbus was successfully launched and so "has started its trip to the New World." Now we should think positively and wish to Columbus and the crew operating with it good luck.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080211/ap_on_sc/space_shuttle;_ylt=ApA7FLdzRWWo0pXgCBpPMAms0NUE

by Barbora Misakova for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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