Ever wanted to say you've been in space? Well, get over to the space pavilion and you can have the next best thing. ESA is displaying a full-size, walk-in replica of its EADS Astrium-built Columbus module for the International Space Station (ISS).
The 4.5m (14.8ft)-diameter cylindrical module, weighs 10,300kg (22,700lb) on earth and is about the size of a small truck.
Columbus, which was was ferried to the ISS aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis earlier this year, can accommodate up to 700kg of scientific equipment and hardware. Each year, the module will be home to many different experiments in materials science, medicine, biology and technology.
Columbus's exterior also carries a structure for experimental packages to test new materials in space. This includes Solar, an observatory to monitor the sun, and the European Technology Exposure Facility that carries eight different experiments requiring exposure to the space environment.
ESA expects the module to continue to operate beyond its operational life in 2016, potentially up to 2020.
Visit the official Berlin Air Show site
Flight's ACAS Business Aviation
Flight's products including the Business Aircraft Pocket Guide
All the show news, pictures, blogs, and video.
All the news from ILA 2008
Source: Flight Daily News
