European Modular Cultivation System (EMCS)

The European Modular Cultivation System was also launched to the ISS on the STS-121 mission in July 2006. It is an ESA experiment facility dedicated to biological experiments, with several experiments already planned dealing primarily with the effects of gravity on plant cells, roots and physiology. EMCS is developed under an ESA contract by an industrial team led by ASTRIUM in Friedrichshafen in Germany.

Call to Station

Other aspects covered during the Industry Day include the European Columbus Laboratory, which is currently scheduled to be launched in October 2007 and will far increase the European research capabilities on the ISS.

The 'ISS Research Technology from Europe' Industry Day will be opened by ESA's Director of Human Spaceflight, Microgravity and Exploration Programmes, Daniel Sacotte and by ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter, who will be connected to the Erasmus Centre via a live in-flight call from the ISS.

In between and at the end of the day's presentations from industry representatives, there will be opportunities to conduct individual interviews for the media.

The programme closes with two highlights: A visit of the ESTEC test facilities where the Automated Transfer Vehicle ATV, which will be launched next year to the ISS, can be seen, and a presentation of the latest 3-D photos and videos that Thomas Reiter took recently on the ISS during his Astrolab mission.