European-built and operated space modules that was initially used in Earth orbit is now on track to reach the moon, marking its 40-year milestone this week. Starting from the launch of Spacelab — a laboratory that launched with a NASA space shuttle payload bay on Nov. 28, 1983 — to the International Space Station’s primary module, Columbus, to Artemis’ lunar orbit deployment, these modules share a common European heritage. The European Space Agency (ESA) recently stated that Spacelab’s industrial legacy is still evident today. This is due to special pressure shells still being made in Thales Alenia Space’s premises in Turin, Italy, from space-grade aluminum-copper alloy 2219 and in an Airbus Defense and Space facility in Bremen, Germany where the Spacelab was integrated.
The first Spacelab mission, which was launched aboard the space shuttle Columbia, supported 72 science experiments during the STS-9 mission. Constructed at a size fitting the dimensions of the shuttle’s cargo hold, Spacelab, Columbus module, and the other major “rooms” created for the International Space Station in Europe were designed to withstand the vacuum of space. However, the upcoming I-Hab module will need to do so in a smaller size. The I-Hab, the living quarters for the multi-module Gateway, is planned to be launched in 2028 and is set to accommodate four crew members up to 30 days at a time.
Unlike modules used for continuous humankind, which contained a toilet and other consumables, I-Hab is limited to a 30-day mission due to its design. Instead, the crew will rely on NASA’s Orion spacecraft for these amenities. I-Hab will share a comparable “shirtsleeves” working environment to that of Spacelab and the ISS. Its design, aiming for a 15-year lifetime, is a testament to the heritage formed by European-built space modules. Additionally, European Space Agency also revealed a plan to develop a moon base with Spacelab-sized modules through a partnership with the Italian Space Agency.
