The
European Technology Exposure Facility (
EuTEF) is a payload mounted on the exterior of the European
ColumbusColumbus is a science laboratory that is part of the International Space Station and is the largest single contribution to the ISS made by the European Space Agency ....
laboratory, one of the modules of the
International Space StationThe International Space Station is an internationally developed research facility currently being assembled in Low Earth Orbit. On-orbit construction of the station began in 1998 and is scheduled to be completed by 2011, with operations continuing until at least 2015...
. The facility, mounted onto the exterior of
Columbus during
STS-122STS-122 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station , flown by the Space Shuttle Atlantis. STS-122 marked the 24th shuttle mission to the ISS, and the 121st space shuttle flight since STS-1....
, provides a platform for multiple types of experiments and materials to be exposed directly to the harsh space environment.
The EuTEF is a programmable, multifunctional architecture that provides uniform interfaces for instruments.
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The
European Technology Exposure Facility (
EuTEF) is a payload mounted on the exterior of the European
ColumbusColumbus is a science laboratory that is part of the International Space Station and is the largest single contribution to the ISS made by the European Space Agency ....
laboratory, one of the modules of the
International Space StationThe International Space Station is an internationally developed research facility currently being assembled in Low Earth Orbit. On-orbit construction of the station began in 1998 and is scheduled to be completed by 2011, with operations continuing until at least 2015...
. The facility, mounted onto the exterior of
Columbus during
STS-122STS-122 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station , flown by the Space Shuttle Atlantis. STS-122 marked the 24th shuttle mission to the ISS, and the 121st space shuttle flight since STS-1....
, provides a platform for multiple types of experiments and materials to be exposed directly to the harsh space environment.
The EuTEF is a programmable, multifunctional architecture that provides uniform interfaces for instruments. Nine instrument modules are accommodated and operated simultaneously. Each experiment is mounted on the
Columbus External Payload Adapter (CEPA), which consists of an adapter plate, the Active Flight Releasable Attachment Mechanism (A-FRAM) and the connectors & harness. The experiments are mounted either directly onto the adapter plate or a support structure that elevates them for optimum exposure to the ram (direction of flight) and zenith directions.
In total, the facility has a mass of . The first set of experiments (successfully removed during
STS-128STS-128 was the most recent space shuttle mission to the International Space Station . It used , and launched on August 28, 2009. The primary payload was the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo, containing a collection of experiments for studying the physics and chemistry of microgravity...
) mounted to the facility includes:
- DEBris In-orbit Evaluator (DEBIE-2): micrometeoroid and orbital debris detector
- EuTEF Thermometer (EuTEMP): measure EuTEF's thermal environment
- Earth Viewing Camera (EVC): Earth observing camera
- Exposure Experiment (Expose): An exobiological exposure facility
- Flux(Phi) Probe EXperiment (FIPEX): atomic oxygen detector
- Material Exposure and Degradation Experiment (MEDET): examine material degradation
- Plasma Electron Gun Payload (PLEGPAY): plasma discharge in orbit
- An Experiment on Space Tribology Experiment (Tribolab): testbed for the tribology (study of friction on moving parts) properties of materials