Researchers have always sought to eliminate the effects of gravity to study the structures and processes of materials, or to better understand the complexity of biological systems, in particular the human body. Astrium has designed and built microgravity research instruments for hundreds of different experiments on-board the Shuttle, Spacelab, Spacehab, Mir, orbiting capsules and sounding rockets. ESA, the French space agency CNES and the German space agency DLR, chose Astrium to design experimental equipment for various modules for the International Space Station (ISS): Columbus, the Astrium-built space laboratory, is equipped with Biolab, the material science laboratory (MSL), the European modular cultivation system for plant research (EMCS), the Cardiolab the protein crystallisation and diagnostics facility PCDF and a fluid sciences laboratory.
Other examples of Astrium’s expertise in this highly specialised field include the LBNP (lower body negative pressure) for human physiology research, the DECLIC facility (Dispositif d'Etude de la Croissance et des LIquides Critiques) for research into critical transparent media, and the atomic clock ensemble in space (ACES).
The Astrium-built MELFI, the Minus Eighty Degree Laboratory Freezer, and EMCS, the European modular cultivation system for biological research, are currently in operation on the ISS. The microgravity science glovebox (MSG) used to safely manipulate sensitive or toxic materials and substances, has been in continuous use in orbit since 2002.
