ESA and Airbus to place two science missions on ISS

ESA and Airbus to place two science missions on ISS …
ESA and Airbus to place two science missions on ISS
Bartolomeo platform. Image: ESA

Luxembourg, 22 January 2021. – The European Space Agency (ESA) and Airbus want to place two scientific payloads on the Bartolomeo platform of the International Space Station (ISS) in 2022 and 2024, ESA said.

One mission is the Exobiology Platform (EXPO) which will serve for a set of radiation experiments aimed at better understanding the evolution of organic molecules and organisms in space, ESA said. At the end of its three-year mission, the EXPO samples will be returned to Earth for detailed investigation and analysis.

The other payload is the Euro Material Ageing experiment platform (SESAME), developed by the French Space Agency (CNES). This mission will study how materials age in space. The experiments will be returned to Earth after a year.

Both orders, amounting to € 6.5 million, are the first under a new Bartolomeo framework agreement between ESA and Airbus.

Airbus’ Bartolomeo can host up to twelve payloads and is operated by Airbus, ESA, NASA and the ISSS National Laboratory. The platform was launched and robotically attached to the ISS Columbus Module in 2020. Following the final connection of the cabling during in early 2021, the platform is ready for in-space commissioning.

Picture of SpaceWatch.GLOBAL
SpaceWatch.GLOBAL
Continue Reading
Join BusinessClub
Business Club - Thank You
SWGL FanShop

Don't Miss Any Updates

NEWSLETTER

Subscribe now to receive the best of space insights directly in your inbox! Free of charge, finished in just 20 seconds!
* Required
Email
Contact
Newsletter
Please select the newsletter of your choice *

Yes, I would like to receive the selected newsletters for free.

You can unsubscribe anytime via the link in our emails or by contacting us. We respect your information. For details, check our Privacy Policy.
By clicking below, you agree to our terms, in particular the transfer of data to Mailchimp.
.