ESA Transfers Ownership Of European-Built ISS Observation Module To NASA

Ownership of the European-built cupola observation module for the International Space Station (ISS) was officially transferred to NASA earlier this month. The transfer of ownership, which took place at the Kennedy Space Center July 7th, marks the conclusion of ESA’s obligations for the Cupola’s development as part of a bilateral barter agreement between ESA and NASA.

Under the agreement the European Space Agency provided the cupola in exchange for shuttle transportation services for European equipment and experiments for the Station. The 1.8 ton cupola will now remain in storage before being prepared for its launch, which is currently planned for the first quarter of 2009.

The cupola is an observation and control tower for the International Space Station (ISS), with windows that provide a panoramic view through which operations on the outside of the Station can be observed and guided. 

It is a pressurised module that will accommodate command and control workstations and other hardware. This will allow crewmembers in the cupola to control the Space Station’s robotic arm, which helps with the attachment and assembly of the various Station elements, and communicate with crewmembers in other parts of the Station or outside during spacewalk activities. The cupola will further provide observational applications in the areas of Earth Observation and Space Science.

"The cupola is just one example of how ESA is meeting its obligations to the International Space Station Program,” said Alan Thirkettle, ESA’s Head of Development for the Directorate of Human Spaceflight, Microgravity and Exploration.

“It will provide a unique control and viewpoint for robotic work undertaken outside of the ISS and a welcome view of Earth for the station crews. When it is launched in 2009 it will be joining Europe’s other major contributions to the ISS including the Columbus Laboratory, due for launch in 2007, and the two connecting modules, Node 2 planned for launch in December 2006 and Node 3, which will also become the connection point for the cupola, in 2008.”

“It is always a pleasure to see a project coming together so well with the contributions of Industry from many European countries,” said Daniel Sacotte, ESA’s Director of Human Spaceflight, Microgravity and Exploration. “The coming years will be a very exciting and challenging time for ESA as we see the core European ISS elements being launched and attached to the ISS, and contributing to the largest research facility in space.”

FMI: www.nasa.gov