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| News
2007 |
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04/12/2007
Telespazio and MARS Center take part in scientific
experiments on board the International Space Station
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Through its subsidiary MARS Center (Microgravity
Advanced Research and Support Center)
Telespazio, a Finmeccanica/Thales company,
is set to take part in scientific experiments
to be conducted on board the International
Space Station (ISS).
NASA’s Space Shuttle Atlantis will set off
on mission STS-122 on 6 December 2007 at 10.30 pm Italian time.
The main goal of the mission will be to install the Columbus
module, built in Italy by Thales Alenia Space, on the
International Space Station.
The Naples-based MARS Center, which is 100% controlled
by Telespazio, was given the role of Facility Responsible
Center (FRC) by the European Space Agency (ESA) for the
Fluid Science Laboratory that will operate in the Columbus module.
The laboratory will conduct experiments into the behaviour of
fluids in microgravity.
The experiments will be carried out both by
the astronauts on board the ISS, and by MARS operators via commands
sent from the control room in Naples.
The MARS Center will be responsible for running the Fluid
Science Laboratory during operations on board the ISS,
and will be required to co-ordinate all the pre-mission
activities, prepare the experiments and promote the scientific
use of the facility itself to potential customers.
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The MARS
Center will be actively involved in Geoflow, the first experiment
to be carried out inside the Columbus module, which will simulate
the geophysical characteristics of the Earth’s liquid core.
The aim is to gain a better understanding of the phenomena
generated by the earth’s magnetic field.
Press release
Comunicato stampa
Scheda Columbus
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