Information AboutSpacelab |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT SPACELAB | |
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Spacelab is a Microgravity laboratory flown into space on the Space Shuttle . It consists of a large cylindrical main laboratory that is flown in the rear of the Space Shuttle cargo bay, connected to the crew compartment by a long tube. The laboratory had an outer diameter of 4.06 m, and each segment a length of 2.7 m. Most of the time two segments were used, thus it had a total length of 5.4 m. In April 1973 NASA and the ESA (then known as the ESRO) agreed to build a modular science package. Construction of Spacelab started in 1974 by the ERNO (represented by VFW-Fokker GmbH , later bought by MBB , and since 2003 part of EADS SPACE Transportation ). The first lab, LM1, was given to NASA free of charge in exchange for flight opportunities for European astronauts. A second lab, '''LM2''', was bought by NASA for its own needs. The system also included a system of external pallets for experiments in vacuum, built by British Aerospace . Spacelab was used in 25 shuttle flights, but was decommissioned in 1998 - science work was supposed to be moved to the International Space Station and Spacehab module, a smaller version of Spacelab. The palette was recommissioned in 2002 for flight on STS-99 , and future use is likely. The LM1 is now on display in the ''Bremenhalle'' exhibition in Airport of Bremen , Germany . SPACELAB MISSIONS
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