The International Space Station module is fully outfitted with its experiment racks and orbital hardware, the ESA said Friday in a release.

Engineers are installing the trunnions that will secure the 14-foot aluminum cylinder in the shuttle payload bay. They will then mount panels to protect the lab from micrometeorite impacts.

The Columbus hatch will be reopened at the beginning of October to undergo final preparations for flight.

"The launch of Columbus will be a major landmark in European space exploration," Columbus Project Manager Bernardo Patti said.

Columbus was originally scheduled for launch in 2002, but delays in the construction of the ISS and the loss of shuttle Columbia put back the mission five years.

"Once Columbus is operational, we will have a permanent presence on the station," said Patti. "We will own our own real estate."