It was a moment for which research scientists have waited over two decades, but when it finally came this afternoon it was no less glorious.

Anxiously watched by 10 orbiting astronauts and millions of observers from Earth, Europe's Columbus laboratory was successfully installed on the international space station and received its first visitor.

With the lab secured to the space station last night, the astronauts spent this morning hooking up power, fluid and data lines before French astronaut Leopold Eyharts briefly floated inside for the first time since it reached orbit.

“This is a great moment,” he declared to ground control teams watching nervously in Houston and Munich. Checking around with his headlamp, he pronounced the lab to be in good shape.

“We are very proud,” Hans Schlegel, his German crewmate, added. “It starts a new era. The European scientific module Columbus and the ISS are connected for many, many years of research in space in cooperation, internationally.”

Europe has high hopes for its £1 billion laboratory, including research to benefit a wide variety of industries. The 12.8-tonne module has room for three researchers in fields ranging from the development of advanced alloys to crop breeding. An official opening ceremony was scheduled for later today.

The visiting Atlantis crew installed the laboratory yesterday during an eight-hour spacewalk – far longer than expected. The outing had originally been scheduled for Sunday but was delayed when Mr Schlegel fell ill, leaving a replacement, rookie astronaut Stan Love, to take his place alongside fellow American Rex Walheim.

NASA has not disclosed Mr Schlegel’s ailment but he remains scheduled to join Mr Walheim for a second spacewalk tomorrow to replace a spent nitrogen tank used to pressurize the station’s coolant system.

The Columbus programme was approved by the European Space Agency in 1985 and originally scheduled to launch in 1992, on the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ departure for the New World. However problems with the International Space Station and the Space Shuttle led to repeated delays.

NASA is about 60 per cent finished building the $100 billion outpost. During the next shuttle flight scheduled for launch March 11, astronauts plan to begin installing what will be the station’s largest laboratory, the Japanese-built Kibo complex.

“We’re very, very much looking forward to having (Japan) join us next month,” Alan Thirkettle, the Europe Space Agency’s space station program manager, said.

The crew were glad to hear, meanwhile, that they will not have to worry about fixing a loose insulation blanket on one of Atlantis’ steering engines.

The shuttle crew made an extra inspection of the area on Sunday after finding that the thermal blanket had torn, probably during Atlantis’ climb to orbit on Thursday.

Stephen Frick, Atlantis’ commander, welcomed the analysis of engineers at Mission Control that the blanket would stand up to the intense heat of re-entry.

“It’s a relief to know we don’t have to go back there and mess with it,” Mr Frick said.

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