This southerly looking view photographed from the orbiting Space Shuttle Columbia shows a small portion of the vehichle's aft section. The 50-ft Canadian built remote manipulator system (RMS) is in a resting posture (lower right corner) stretched out along the 60-ft. long cargo bay. Many of the components of the OSS-1 payload package are in the bottom center. The Mediterranean Sea is at right foreground. Parts of the Sinai peninsula, Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon can be located in the photo. The Red Sea, Gulf of Aqaba, Suez Canal are near the photo's horizon.

STS003-09-444 (22-30 March 1982) --- The darkness of space provides the backdrop for this scene of the plasma diagnostics package (PDR) experiment in the grasp of the end effector or ?hand? of the remote manipulator system (RMS) arm, and other components of the Office of Space Sciences (OSS-1) package in the aft section of the Columbia?s cargo hold. The PDP is a compact, comprehensive assembly of electromagnetic and particle sensors that will be used to study the interaction of the orbiter with its surrounding environment; to test the capabilities of the shuttle?s remote manipulator system; and to carry out experiments in conjunction with the fast pulse electron generator of the vehicle charging and potential experiment, another experiment on the OSS-1 payload pallet. This photograph was exposed with a 70mm handheld camera by the astronaut crew of STS-3, with a handheld camera aimed through the flight deck?s aft window. Photo credit: NASA

STS003-21-080 (22-30 March 1982) --- Plasma Diagnostics Package (PDP) grappled by remote manipulator system (RMS) end effector is positioned above payload bay (PLB) at sunrise. Photo credit: NASA