Columbus has taken twenty-three years in the making. Columbus is a primary contribution of European Space Agency. The NASA scientists were at the elation while seeing their successful Atlantis lift off with Columbus space mission.

Cape Canaveral — shuttle Atlantis moved into its orbit with Europe’s gift to the international space station. Atlantis with its seven-man crew safely started from launch pad at 2:45 p.m. Rain and thunderstorms remained off though the sky was cloudy at launch time.

Columbus is designed with 23 feet long and 15 feet in diameter. It is a pressurized laboratory that can increase the space station’s research capability. The module weighs 22,700-pound; it was built in Italy and outfitted in Germany.

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