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Columbus - External Payload Facility (Columbus-EPF)
10.23.09
Scientists and payload developers can get more information on International Space Station research facilities by contacting the ISS Payloads Office or at 281-244-6187.

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Facility/Payload Overview

Brief Facility Summary

The Columbus External Payload Facility (Columbus-EPF) provides four powered external attachment site locations for scientific payloads or facilities. The first NASA investigation is a testbed for materials exposure.

Facility Manager(s)

  • Bernardo Patti, European Space Technology Center, Noordwijk, The Netherlands

    • Co-Facility Manager(s)

    Information Pending

    Facility Developer

    EADS Astrium Space Transportation, Bremen Germany

    Sponsoring Agency

    European Space Agency (ESA)

    Expeditions Assigned

    |16|17|18|19|20|21|22|

    Previous ISS Missions

    Information Pending

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    Facility/Payload Description

    Facility Summary

    • The Columbus External Payload Facility (Columbus-EPF) provides four attachment sites for payloads and payload facilities: 1 nadir (platform facing earthward), 1 zenith (platform facing upward) and two starboard (platforms face to the right of Columbus as viewed along its line of flight). Each payload may have a mass of up to 290 kg, including the mass of the EXPRESS Pallet Adapter (ExPA) and the active Flight Releaseable Attachment Mechanism (FRAM).


    • Power capability at each attachment site of up to 1.25 kW is provided by two 120 Vdc redundant power feeds.


    • Data capabilities at each attachment site include a 1553-B low rate data line for status data such as caution and warning and failure detection. The attachment sites also provide an Ethernet medium rate data line, for transfer of commanding, ancillary data, and file transfer with rates up to 1.55 Mbps (megabits per second). The high data rate line interfaces to the video data processing unit, and transmits up to 32.426 Mbps in increments of 32 kbps (kilobits per second).

    Description

    The Columbus External Payload Facility (Columbus-EPF) consists of two identical L-shaped consoles attached to the starboard cone of Columbus in the zenith (top) and nadir (bottom), positions, each supporting two platforms for external payloads or payload facilities. In total, four external payloads (payload facilities) can be operated at the same time.

    In addition to structural support, Columbus can supply the Columbus-EPF payloads with power and data (commanding), as well as polling the payload for housekeeping data (health and status) and user data.

    The power and data interfaces available to the Columbus-EPF payloads are directly connected to the Columbus internal distribution systems. Controlling and commanding Columbus-EPF payloads and payload facilities are done via Columbus using the same data links as for internal payloads, and the same ground segment infrastructure. Each payload has a facility-responsible center, which can transmit commands and receive telemetry via the Columbus Control Centre (CCC).

    Columbus will provide a maximum of 1.25 kW per Columbus-EPF location. Each Columbus-EPF location is connected to two 120 Vdc power feeders, each with a maximum allocation of 1.25 kW. Switching between the power feeders is done via the Payload Power Switch Box in Columbus and requires the power feeders to be powered down.

    The maximum on-orbit mass of an external Columbus-EPF payload, including the adapter plate, is 290 kg. The dimensions of a payload should not exceed 864 mm x 1168 mm x 1245 mm without the adapter plate.

    The first payload facilities planned for Columbus-EPF are European Technology Exposure Facility (EuTEF) and Sun Monitoring on the External Payload Facility of Columbus (Solar) which will be installed during the STS-122/1E mission during an extravehicular activity (EVA) by crewmembers. Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space (ACES) and Export will be delivered to ISS on a to be determined date.

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    Operations

    Facility Operations

    The Columbus-EPF will be transported to the ISS with the Columbus module on STS-122/1E in December 2007. Columbus-EPF payloads and payload facilities will be transported to and from orbit using an ISS program-supplied carrier. Once the carrier is docked, the payload/payload facility will be maneuvered by the robotic manipulators of the ISS to its final operational location on the Columbus-EPF. Each payload/payload facility has an open view to ram and to starboard, as well as one to either zenith or nadir. The view in the wake direction is reduced by ISS structures. At the end of its operational phase, a payload will be transported to the carrier by robotic means and returned to ground for post-mission inspection and analysis and, possibly, refurbishment.

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    Results/More Information

    Information Pending

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    Availability

  • On-Board ISS

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    Related Web Sites

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    Publications

    Results Publications

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      Related Publications
      • Persson J, Dettmann J. Columbus External Payload Facility - Architecture and Utilisation. Conference and Exhibit on International Space Station Utilization, Cape Canaveral, FL. Oct 15 - 18, ;AIAA-2001-5068. 2001

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      Images

      imageComputer-generated illustration of the location of the Columbus-EPF on the Columbus module. Image courtesy of ESA.
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      imageComputer generated image of the completed International Space Station with external workstations. Image courtesy of NASA.
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      Information Provided and Updated by the ISS Program Scientist's Office
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