In addition to the Columbus laboratory module, including all facilities required for energy supply and communications as well as the interfaces to the other station elements, Astrium supplies vital technologies required for station operations. A prime example is the data management system DMS-R which was integrated into the Russian service module Zvezda and has been successfully in service since June 2000 with no failure. DMS-R is the set of on-board computers, their avionics and software, necessary for the overall control, mission and failure management of the entire Russian segment of the International Space Station.
DMS-R is a highly sophisticated and extremely fault-tolerant computer system which also provides attitude control for the space station. The system ensures fast and trouble-free communications between the 'outpost' in space and the ground stations in Europe, Russia and the United States.
