Outer space

The European fluid science research activities in space reached a milestone on August 7. with the successful completion of the first experiment run in the Fluid Science Laboratory (FSL) facility, one of the payload racks located in the European COLUMBUS laboratory on the International Space Station.

In August the experiment, called GEOFLOW, has concluded and completed two further runs on the 19th and 25th, and a partial run on the 27th prior to an ISS debris avoidance manoeuvre performed by the European Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV).

NASA has selected target launch dates for the remaining eight space shuttle missions for 2009 and 2010. The flights are, one to the Hubble Space Telescope, seven assembly flights to the International Space Station, and two station contingency flights, planned to be completed before the end of fiscal year 2010.