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Image above: The Columbus laboratory is moved into position to be attached to the Harmony module. Photo credit: NASA TV

Today, STS-122 and Expedition 16 crew members used the International Space Station’s robotic arm to attach the European Space Agency’s Columbus laboratory to the station’s Harmony module.

STS-122 Mission Specialists Leland Melvin and Daniel Tani, along with Expedition 16 Flight Engineer Leopold Eyharts, used the orbital outpost’s robotic arm to complete the installation at 4:44 p.m. EST.

During STS-122’s first spacewalk, Mission Specialists Rex Walheim and Stanley Love bolted the Power and Data Grapple Fixture - PDGF - to the Columbus module. The PDGF provided a grapple point to which the station’s robotic arm could attach.

The spacewalkers completed some work to prepare for the removal of the Nitrogen Tank Assembly (NTA), a part of the station’s thermal control system, from the P1 truss. Removal of this assembly, as well as installation of a new one, will be performed during STS-122’s next spacewalk. The NTA will be replaced because its nitrogen is running low.

Walheim and Mission Specialist Hans Schlegel will continue preparing Columbus for its work during STS-122’s second spacewalk, slated to take place Wednesday at 9:35 a.m.

Source http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html