The ''Columbus'' External Payload Facility (Columbus-EPF) is a component of the European '' Columbus'' module on the International Space Station (ISS). It 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. Four external payloads (payload facilities) can be operated at the same time. An additional external payload platform called ''Bartolomeo'' was installed on Columbus in 2020.

History

Columbus-EPF was transported to the International Space Station (ISS) with the ''Columbus'' module on STS-122/1E in February 2008. Columbus-EPF payloads and payload facilities are transported to and from orbit using a carrier supplied by the ISS Program. The payloads and payload facilities are manoeuvred by the robotic manipulators of the ISS to their final operational locations on the Columbus-EPF. Each payload or 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 is transported to the carrier by robotic means and returned to ground for post-mission inspection and analysis and, possibly, refurbishment. The first Columbus-EPF payload facilities were the European Technology Exposure Facility (EuTEF) and Sun Monitoring on the External Payload Facility of Columbus (Solar), which were installed during an

extravehicular activity Extravehicular activity (EVA) is any activity done by an astronaut in outer space outside a spacecraft. In the absence of a breathable atmosphere of Earth, Earthlike atmosphere, the astronaut is completely reliant on a space suit for environme ...

(EVA) by crew members of the

STS 122 STS-122 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS), flown by the . STS-122 marked the 24th shuttle mission to the ISS, and the 121st Space Shuttle flight overall. The mission was also referred to as ISS-1E by the ...

mission .

Functions

In addition to structural support, ''Columbus'' can supply power and data (command) to the Columbus-EPF payloads and can poll the payloads for housekeeping (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. Columbus-EPF payloads and payload facilities are controlled and commanded via ''Columbus'' using the same data links and

ground segment A ground segment consists of all the ground-based elements of a spaceflight, space system used by operators and support personnel, as opposed to the Satellite space segment, space segment and user segment. The ground segment enables management of ...

infrastructure used for internal payloads. Each payload has a facility-responsible centre that can transmit commands and receive telemetry via the Columbus Control Centre. ''Columbus'' provides a maximum of 1.25 kW per Columbus-EPF location. Each Columbus-EPF location is connected to two 120-Vdc power feeders, each of which has 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 x 1168 x 1245 mm without the adapter plate. Columbus - External Payload Facility (Columbus-EPF)

''Bartolomeo''

The ''Bartolomeo'' platform, developed and operated by

Airbus Airbus SE ( ; ; ; ) is a Pan-European aerospace corporation. The company's primary business is the design and manufacturing of commercial aircraft but it also has separate Airbus Defence and Space, defence and space and Airbus Helicopters, he ...

, is an additional external payload hosting platform that was connected to '' Columbus'' in 2020.

Background

Airbus spent about €40 million to develop the ''Bartolomeo'' platform, according to DLR, the German space agency. DLR says accommodations on ''Bartolomeo'' would be priced from €300,000 to €3.5 million per year. Data from attached experiments would be routed to the ground through the space station's telemetry system, then go into cloud storage, where scientists can access the information with a smartphone. Payload owners can also send commands to their experiments through a smartphone. Airbus is also partnering with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) to solicit ideas for ''Bartolomeo'' payloads from around the world. Developing countries in particular are encouraged to participate. ESA is emphasizing the platform's usefulness for commercial entities, academic institutions, and other lower-budget customers.

Launch and installation

The ''Bartolomeo'' platform was robotically removed from SpaceX CRS-20's trunk and installed on the external forward side of ''Columbus'' module in April 2020, attached to the trunnions that held Columbus in the payload bay of Space Shuttle ''Atlantis'' on its 2008 launch. An EVA by ISS astronauts to connect power and communications cables and to install a new

Ka-band The Ka band (pronounced as either "kay-ay band" or "ka band") is a portion of the microwave part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The designation "Ka-band" is from Kurz-above, which stems from the German word ''kurz,'' meaning "short". There ...

antenna was carried out on January 27, 2021. Due to issues with the installation of ''Bartolomeo'', only four out of the six cables could be installed. The platform was "partially operational and in a safe configuration" according to

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...

. The final two cables were installed during a March 2022 spacewalk by ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer.

Utilisation

In January 2025, a London-based company called Sen unveiled a high-resolution livestream from space via a camera hosted on the Bartolomeo platform. The livestream is available 20 hours per day on YouTube.

External experiments on ''Columbus''

Payloads are installed onto ''Columbus'' using Flight Releasable Attachment Mechanisms or FRAMs for short. There are four FRAMs on Columbus.

Current

Source: * FRAM 1 (top side): STP-H7 * FRAM 2 (side top pylon): STP-H10 * FRAM 3 (side bottom pylon): Atmosphere-Space Interaction Monitor (ASIM) * FRAM 4 (bottom side): Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space (ACES) since 25 April 2025 * ''Bartolomeo'' Slot 1 (Top Side) Empty * ''Bartolomeo'' Slot 2 (Bottom) ArgUS 1 Unit 2-1 * ''Bartolomeo'' Slot 3 (Top Side) Multi-Needle Langmuir Probe * ''Bartolomeo'' Slot 4 (Bottom) Empty * ''Bartolomeo'' Slot 5 (Side Top Pylon) ArgUS 1 Unit 1-1 * ''Bartolomeo'' Slot 6 (Side Bottom Pylon) Empty * ''Bartolomeo'' Slot 7 (Starboard Pylon Top) Empty * ''Bartolomeo'' Slot 8 (Starboard Pylon Bottom) Empty * ''Bartolomeo'' Slot 9 (Port Pylon Top) Empty * ''Bartolomeo'' Slot 10 Port Pylon Bottom) Empty

Deorbited

* LWAPA/ MISSE 6 *

EuTEF The European Technology Exposure Facility (EuTEF) was a payload mounted on the exterior of the European ''Columbus'' laboratory, one of the modules of the International Space Station. The facility, mounted onto the exterior of ''Columbus'', provid ...

ISS-RapidScat ISS-RapidScat was an instrument mounted to the International Space Station ''Columbus'' module that measured wind speeds. It was launched aboard SpaceX CRS-4 in September 2014 and operated until August 2016. ISS-RapidScat was a scatteromete ...

SOLAR Solar may refer to: Astronomy * Of or relating to the Sun ** Solar telescope, a special purpose telescope used to observe the Sun ** A device that utilizes solar energy (e.g. "solar panels") ** Solar calendar, a calendar whose dates indicate t ...

* Space Debris Sensor (SDS) * High Definition Earth Viewing cameras (HDEV) * STP-H7

Awaiting launch

EXPORT An export in international trade is a good produced in one country that is sold into another country or a service provided in one country for a national or resident of another country. The seller of such goods or the service provider is a ...

* GEROS

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
External Payloads Proposer’s Guide to the International Space Station. NASA, 2017

''Bartolomeo'': New External Payload Platform on the International Space Station: Technical Briefing Part 2. Airbus, 2019

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Columbus - External Payload Facility Science facilities on the International Space Station Columbus (ISS module)