ESA opens user centre for International Space Station
The International Space Station User Centre was formerly opened this week at ESA's technology and research establishment centre ESTEC in Noordwijk, The Netherlands. The resource centre hopes to attract Europeans interested in using the space station, who can learn about the facilities on board the International Space Station and discuss with ESA experts the procedure for developing their experiments. Head of the coordination office at ESA, Mr Dieter Isakeit, said: 'Most of the potential space station users know us very badly, and so we hope the establishment of this centre will bring wider recognition. It is equally important to attract new customers - those who don't know us - as it is to inform the inner circle. The other day I was on the plane with the Shell CEO who was interested in the project but knew very little about it. People at engineer level will know, but their bosses do not.' On board the user station which will be fully operational by the end of the year, first time and potential users from the non-space sector and the traditional space research community will become familiar with Space Station hardware. The showpiece will be a full-size, fully functional model of Europe's main contribution, the Columbus Laboratory. Interactive 3D virtual-reality simulations will allow them to explore the Space Station both outside and in. The user centre will be open to everyone, although in reality it will only be of use to participants whose governments are Space Station partners. Mr Isakeit said: 'We will be like a travel agency. Certain countries have certain entry requirements and visa restrictions. The user centre will provide information, but only countries whose governments have signed up can receive a ticket.' The Space Station is now becoming a reality - two elements are already in place and the third is set to join in November. This mission will install the first piece of European hardware, an ESA-developed onboard computer that will act as the brain for the Russian service module Zvezda ('star' in Russian). 'It means the Space Station will think like a European,' said Mr Isakeit. The remaining 43 missions required to build the International Space Station, whose other partners include the United States, Russia, Japan, Canada and Europe, have been set back by an average of two months. However ESA are confident that the first European, ESA astronaut Umberto Guidoni, will set foot on the station in June 2000. ESA is also making preparations for the scientific and technical utilisation of the station. Its first experiments will include a special infrared sensor capable of monitoring hotspots on the Earth, and an atomic clock set to be 10 to 100 times more accurate than the most accurate clock on Earth. In the meantime ESA have elected a new Chairman of the ESA Council. Alain Bensoussan, currently President of the French Space Agency, CNES, took up the post on 1 July 1999 from Norwegian Hugo Parr, who has held the post for the last three years.