B.USOC (Belgian User Support and Operation Centre)

The B.USOC (Belgian User Support and Operation Centre) is a centre of expertise, hosted by the Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy in Brussels, which provides technical and operational support to Belgian scientists who are involved in research projects in space:

• technical support for the development and qualification of space experiments;
• operational support for the execution of modus operandi related to space experiments and tele-science operations.

The B.USOC is also closely involved in operational tasks in the framework of international space missions in which Belgium participates. As USOC of ESA, the B.USOC provides operational support to the experiments realised onboard the Columbus module of the ISS:  

• Facility Responsible Centre in the frame of the tele-robotic activities METERON;
• Facility Responsible Centre for the Fluid Science Laboratory (FSL) of Columbus;
• Facility Responsible Centre for the ASIM instruments on the external platform of Columbus.