Sts 122Edit
STS-122 was a landmark Space Shuttle mission in the early years of the International Space Station (ISS) era. Flown by Space Shuttle Atlantis and launched from the Kennedy Space Center in February 2008, the mission underscored the continued capability and leadership of the United States in human spaceflight while deepening collaboration with international partners. The primary objective was to deliver the European Space Agency’s Columbus laboratory to the ISS, marking Europe’s first permanent science facility in space and reinforcing the ISS program as a global, multiparty enterprise rather than a purely American effort. In addition to delivering Columbus, STS-122 brought a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) named Raffaello to the station to support on-orbit logistics and research needs, and it featured a pair of spacewalks to integrate Columbus with the station’s systems.
Atlantis’ crew worked to mate Columbus to the Russian and American segments, integrate its power and data interfaces, and configure the laboratory for its science workload. The mission also demonstrated the continuing utility of the Space Shuttle for complex assembly and logistics tasks, even as the era of shuttle flight faced increasing scrutiny about cost, risk, and mission density. The installation of Columbus on the Harmony/Node 2 area added substantial new research capability for biology, materials science, and physics, and it cemented the ISS as a platform for multinational science and tech leadership.
Mission overview
STS-122 was the 24th Space Shuttle mission dedicated to the ISS and the first shuttle flight to carry a major European laboratory into space. The primary objective was the delivery and installation of the Columbus laboratory, Europe’s first permanent research module on the station. Columbus was designed to host European experiments across life sciences, materials science, and physical sciences, expanding the ISS’s capacity for international science programs. The mission also carried the MPLM Raffaello, a pressurized logistics module that enables long-term resupply and return of experiments and hardware to Earth.
In addition to Columbus, STS-122 provided logistics support and spares for the ISS, including equipment and supplies necessary to sustain the station’s growing crew and research agenda. The mission’s success relied on close collaboration among NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and multiple partners, highlighting the value of allied technology, manufacturing, and human spaceflight expertise in maintaining U.S. leadership in space.
The crew for STS-122 included Commander Stephen W. Frick, Pilot Alan G. Poindexter, and mission specialists Rex J. Walheim, Stanley G. Love, Leland D. Melvin, along with European Space Agency astronauts Léopold Eyharts and Hans Schlegel. Eyharts joined the ISS as part of Expedition 16, expanding European presence on the outpost. The seven-person team conducted the essential tasks of rendezvous, docking, and installation, then configured Columbus for on-orbit operations.
During the mission, the crew performed two spacewalks to attach Columbus to the ISS, connect its power and data interfaces, and secure external systems. These EVAs were essential to ensuring Columbus could function as a science platform and as a gateway for future international research modules. The mission also demonstrated the Shuttle’s ability to handle complex on-orbit maintenance and logistics in close coordination with ISS crew members already aboard the station.
Payloads and objectives
Columbus laboratory: The centerpiece of STS-122, this European module expanded the ISS’s scientific capacity and broadened international participation in space research. The module’s internal racks and experiments addressed life sciences, biology, materials science, and physics topics. The installation required precise robotic operations and on-orbit assembly work.
MPLM Raffaello: The Raffaello MPLM acted as a mobile logistics module, carrying experiments, spare parts, and other equipment to the ISS and, after powering down, returning items to Earth. MPLMs are critical for maintaining a steady flow of supplies and research materials to the outpost between shuttle visits.
On-orbit assembly and integration work: The mission demonstrated how the ISS could be expanded through international collaboration, with Columbus interfacing with existing station systems and power networks, and with European and American experts coordinating to ensure long-term operability.
Spacewalks and on-orbit activities
STS-122 featured two spacewalks performed by Walheim and Love. EVA-1 focused on the initial attachment and mating tasks needed to secure Columbus to the ISS and to begin connecting its exterior and power interfaces. EVA-2 completed the cabling and interface work, ensuring Columbus could be powered and integrated with the station’s data systems. These spacewalks highlighted the continued relevance of human EVA work for complex orbital construction and maintenance, a capability that remains essential for large-scale on-orbit infrastructure projects.
Program context and policy implications
The mission occurred at a time when questions about the cost and strategic value of human spaceflight were increasingly debated. Proponents argued that continuing shuttle-era capabilities—paired with international partnerships—were essential for U.S. technological leadership, national security relevance, and the ability to maintain a robust, science-driven presence in space. The Columbus partnership showcased an effective model for allied collaboration, spreading responsibility and shared investment across interested nations while accelerating the ISS’s scientific program.
Critics from a fiscal-conservative perspective emphasized cost control, risk management, and the need to diversify away from large, centralized programs toward more market-driven approaches and commercial spaceflight. They argued for greater emphasis on national competitiveness, private-sector capabilities, and strategic priorities such as satellite infrastructure, defense-related space capabilities, and rapid innovation cycles. In this view, the STS-122 mission underscored why careful budgeting and disciplined program management were essential to maintaining leadership without overcommitting funds to a single national framework. The broader debate also touched on how international collaboration should be structured, including the balance between shared costs, sovereign autonomy, and the United States’ role in defining standards and priorities for future space acts and space technologies.
In the contemporary discourse surrounding space policy, some critics argued that the era of large, government-led programs should give way to more competition, commercialization, and private-sector involvement in launch, servicing, and research infrastructure. Supporters of the traditional, mission-led approach maintained that high- stakes, long-term commitments—like building a permanent space station and hosting major international laboratories—require a stable, well-funded backbone that only large-scale public programs can reliably provide. STS-122 stands as a case study in how such collaborations can advance scientific capabilities while reinforcing a national strategic posture through demonstrated engineering excellence, project management, and the ability to integrate foreign partnerships into a coherent, mission-critical program.
See also discussions of the NASA budget, private spaceflight development, and international space cooperation, including Space Shuttle program, International Space Station, Columbus (ISS module), European Space Agency, and related missions such as STS-120 and STS-133 for broader context on ISS assembly and Shuttle-era operations.