Spacelab
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about the space shuttle laboratory. For the space station of the 1970s, see Skylab. For the commercial company which also makes space shuttle laboratories and logistic modules, see SPACEHAB.
Spacelab is a reusable laboratory flown into space on the Space Shuttle. It allowed scientists to perform experiments in a microgravity in Earth orbit. The laboratory consisted of multiple components, including a pressurized module, an unpressurized carrier and other related hardware.
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[edit] History
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 module, LM1, was given to NASA free of charge in exchange for flight opportunities for European astronauts. A second module, 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 (BAe).
Spacelab Module 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 pressurized carrier similar to the Spacelab Module. The Spacelab Pallet was recommissioned in 2002 for flight on STS-99, and future use is likely. Currently scheduled are "Spacelab Pallet - Deployable 1 (SLP-D1) with Canadian Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, Dextre" on STS-123 and "Spacelab Pallet - Deployable 2 (SLP-D2)" on STS-127.
The LM1 is now on display in the Bremenhalle exhibition in the Bremen Airport of Bremen, Germany.
[edit] Description
The Spacelab Module 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 in forming the Double Module configuration.
The Spacelab Pallet is a U-shaped platform for mounting instrumentation, large instruments, experiments requiring exposure to space, and instruments requiring a large field of view, such as telescopes. The pallet has hard points for mounting heavy equipment.
Other Spacelab equipment include the tunnel, Igloo, and the Instrument Pointing System (IPS).
[edit] Spacelab missions
- STS-9, Spacelab 1, November 1983, Module (LM1) and Pallet
- STS-51-B, Spacelab 3, April 1985, Module (LM1)
- STS-51-F, Spacelab 2, July 1985, three Pallet configuration
- STS-61-A, Spacelab D1, October 1985, Module (LM2)
- STS-35, ASTRO-1, December 1990, Pallet
- STS-40, SLS-1, June 1991, Module LM1)
- STS-42, IML-1, January 1992, Module LM2)
- STS-45, ATLAS-1, March 1992, two Pallet configuration
- STS-50, USML-1, June 1992, Module LM1)
- STS-47, Spacelab-J, September 1992, Module (LM2)
- STS-56, ATLAS-2, April 1993, Pallet
- STS-55, Spacelab D2, April 1993, Module (LM1)
- STS-58, SLS-2, October 1993, Module (LM2)
- STS-59, SRL-1, April 1994, Pallet
- STS-65, IML-2, July 1994, Module (LM1)
- STS-68, SRL-2, October 1994, Pallet
- STS-66, ATLAS-3, November 1994, Pallet
- STS-67, ASTRO-2, March 1995, Pallet
- STS-71, Spacelab-Mir, June 1995, Module (LM2)
- STS-73, USML-2, October 1995, Module (LM1)
- STS-78, LMS, June 1996, Module (LM2)
- STS-83, MSL-1, April 1997, Module (LM1)
- STS-94, MSL-1R, July 1997, Module (LM1)
- STS-90, Neurolab, April 1998, Module (LM2)
- STS-99, SRTM, February 2000, Pallet
[edit] Other missions
- STS-92, PMA-3, October 2000, Pallet
- STS-108, December 2001, Lightweight Mission Peculiar Support Structure Carrier (LMC)
