Portrait of STS 51-F Spacelab backup payload specialist George Simon, in blue flight suit

This photograph shows activities inside the science module during the Spacelab-1 (STS-9) mission. Left to right are Mission Specialist Robert Parker, Payload Specialist Byron Lichtenberg, Mission Specialist Owen Garriott, and Payload Specialist Ulf Merbold. The overall goal of the Spacelab-1 mission, the first mission of the Spacelab facility, were: (1) To verify the Spacelab system capability, (2) to obtain valuable scientific, applications, and technology data from a U.S./European multidisciplinary payload, and (3) to demonstrate the broad capability of Spacelab for scientific research. More than 70 experiments in 5 disciplines from 14 nations were conducted during the mission. The mission marked the the entry of non-astronaut persornel, called Payload Specialists, into space as working members of the crew. They are fellow scientists representing the international group of investigators using the mission. Mission Specialists are NASA astronauts who have broad scientific training. They operate various Orbiter-Spacelab systems, perform any required activity outside the spacecraft, and support investigations as needed. The Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia that carried Spacelab-1 was operated by two other NASA astronauts serving as commander and pilot. The STS-9 mission, managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center, was launched on November 28, 1983.

STS078-397-030 (20 June - 7 July 1996) --- Five NASA astronauts and two international payload specialists take a break from a Shuttle duration record-breaker flight to pose for the traditional inflight crew portrait. The photograph should be oriented with payload commander Susan J. Helms at bottom center. Others, clockwise, are French payload specialist Jean-Jacques Favier, Canadian payload specialist Robert B. Thirsk; and astronauts Kevin R. Kregel, pilot; and Charles J. (Chuck) Brady and Richard M. Linnehan, both mission specialists, and Terence T. (Tom) Henricks, mission commander. The crew chose the Life and Microgravity Spacelab (LMS-1) Science Module, situated in the Space Shuttle Columbia's cargo bay, for the portrait setting.

STS009-13-699 (28 Nov - 8 Dec 1983) --? Ulf Merbold, Spacelab 1 payload specialist, carries out one of the experiments using the gradient heating facility on the materials science double rack facility in the busy science module aboard the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Columbia. Representing the European Space Agency, Dr. Merbold comes from Max-Planck Institute in Stuttgart, the Federal Republic of Germany. He is a specialist in crystal lattice defects and low temperature physics. The photograph was made with a 35mm camera.

STS009-03-093 (28 Nov-8 Dec 1983) --- A mission specialist and two payload specialists busy themselves in the Spacelab 1 module aboard the Earth orbiting Space Shuttle Columbia. Left to right are Payload Specialist Robert A. R. Parker. Parker is partially obscured by a deployed instrument of the fluid physics module at the materials sciences double rack. Merbold, a physicist from Max-Planck Institute in the Federal Republic of Germany, wears a head band-like device and a recorder as part of an overall effort to learn more about space adaptation. Both Space lab 1 payload specialists wore the devices during most of their waking hours on this 10-day flight. The frame was exposed with a 35mm camera.

STS-55 crewmembers pose with United States and German flags inside the Spacelab Deutsche 2 (SL-D2) science module located in the payload bay (PLB) of Columbia, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 102. Wearing communications kit assembly headsets (HDSTs) are (left to right) Mission Specialist 1 (MS1) and Payload Commander (PLC) Jerry L. Ross, MS3 Bernard A. Harris, Jr, German Payload Specialist 1 Ulrich Walter, and Payload Specialist 2 Hans Schlegel.

STS055-203-009 (26 April-6 May 1993) --- The seven crew members who spent 10 days aboard the space shuttle Columbia pose for the traditional in-flight portrait in the Spacelab D-2 Science Module. Front, left to right, are Terence T. (Tom) Henricks, Steven R. Nagel, Ulrich Walter and Charles J. Precourt. In the rear are (left to right) Bernard A. Harris Jr., Hans Schlegel and Jerry L. Ross. Nagel served as mission commander; Henricks was the pilot and Ross, the payload commander. Harris and Precourt were mission specialists and Schlegel and Walter were payload specialists representing the German Aerospace Research Establishment (DLR). Photo credit: NASA

STS-40 Payload Specialist Millie Hughes-Fulford conducts Spacelab Life Sciences 1 (SLS-1) Experiment No. 198, Pulmonary Function During Weightlessness, in JSC's Life Sciences Project Division (LSPD) SLS mockup located in the Bioengineering and Test Support Facility Bldg 36. Hughes-Fulford sets switches on Rack 8. Behind her in the center aisle are the stowed bicycle ergometer (foreground) and the body restraint system.

STS078-306-035 (20 June - 7 July 1996) --- Astronaut Susan J. Helms, payload commander, and payload specialist Jean-Jacques Favier, representing the French Space Agency (CNES), insert a test container into the Bubble Drop Particle Unit (BDPU) in the Life and Microgravity Spacelab (LMS-1) Science Module aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia. The fluid in the chamber is heated and the fluid processes are observed by use of three internal cameras mounted inside the BDPU. Investigations in this facility will help characterize interfacial processes involving either bubbles, drops, liquid columns or liquid layers.

STS078-396-015 (20 June - 7 July 1996) --- Payload specialist Jean-Jacques Favier, representing the French Space Agency (CNES), prepares a sample for the Advanced Gradient Heating Facility (AGHF) while wearing instruments that measure upper body movement. The Torso Rotation Experiment (TRE) complements other vestibular studies that measure differences in the way human beings react physically to their surroundings in microgravity. This is a typical Life and Microgravity Spacelab (LMS-1) mission scene, with several experiments being performed. Astronaut Susan J. Helms, payload commander, assists Favier in the AGHF preparations. Astronaut Richard M. Linnehan (bottom right), mission specialist, tests his muscle response with the Handgrip Dynamometer. Astronaut Thomas T. (Tom) Henricks (far background), mission commander, offers assistance.

STS040-605-009 (5-14 June 1991) --- The seven crew members for STS-40 pose for an in-space portrait on the Space Shuttle Columbia's mid-deck. Left to right, in front are F. Andrew Gaffney, Sidney M. Gutierrez, Rhea Seddon and James P. Bagian; in back, Bryan D. O'Connor, Tamara E. Jernigan and Millie Hughes-Fulford. The five astronauts and two payload specialists are spending nine days in space in support of the Spacelab Life Sciences (SLS-1) mission. The image was one of 25 visuals used by the STS-40 crew at its Post Flight Press Conference (PFPC) on June 28, 1991.

STS058-202-002 (18 Oct.-1 Nov. 1993) --- Astronaut Rhea Seddon, STS-58 payload commander, spins the Spacelab Life Sciences (SLS-2) rotating chair as payload specialist Martin J. Fettman serves as test subject. The two joined five NASA astronauts for fourteen days of medical research aboard the Earth-orbiting space shuttle Columbia. Photo credit: NASA

STS042-11-016 (30 Jan 1992) --- Astronaut Norman E. Thagard, STS-42 missions specialist and payload commander, and payload specialist Roberta L. Bondar are busily engaged with experiments in the International Microgravity Laboratory 1 (IML-1) Spacelab module. Bondar reads a checklist near the Rack 5 Biorack and glovebox while Thagard performs a VCR tape change-out. The Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS) (foreground) and shuttle middeck lockers are secured in IML-1's center aisle. In the background the open hatch and Spacelab tunnel interior are visible. Crewmembers enter and exit the IML-1 module via the Spacelab tunnel which connects to Discovery's, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103's, airlock.

STS047-09-009 (12 - 20 Sept 1992) --- The seven crew members sharing eight days of research in support of Spacelab-J pose for the traditional inflight portrait in the Science Module. Pictured, left to right, back row, are Robert L. Gibson, mission commander; and Curtis L. Brown, Jr., pilot; middle row, N. Jan Davis, Jerome (Jay) Apt and Mae C. Jemison, all mission specialists; and front row, Mark C. Lee, payload commander, and Mamoru Mohri, payload specialist representing Japan's National Space Development Agency (NASDA).

STS078-398-032 (20 June - 7 July 1996) --- Astronaut Susan J. Helms, payload commander, measures the distance between Jean-Jacques Favier’s head and the luminous torque, used for the Canal and Otolith Interaction Study (COIS) on the Life and Microgravity Spacelab (LMS-1) mission. Favier, representing the French Space Agency (CNES), is one of two international payload specialists on the almost-17-day flight. This view shows the Voluntary Head Movement (VHM) segment of the experiment. The VHM is meant to characterize how the coordination of head and eye movement changes as a result of spaceflight. Since most vestibular functions are influenced by gravity, the COIS experiment is meant to measure response differences in microgravity.

STS078-301-021 (20 June - 7 July 1996) --- Payload specialist Jean-Jacques Favier, representing the French Space Agency (CNES), holds up a test container to a Spacelab camera. The test involves the Bubble Drop Particle Unit (BDPU), which Favier is showing to ground controllers at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in order to check the condition of the unit prior to heating in the BDPU facility. The test container holds experimental fluid and allows experiment observation through optical windows. BDPU contains three internal cameras that are used to continuously downlink BDPU activity so that behavior of the bubbles can be monitored. Astronaut Richard M. Linnehan, mission specialist, conducts biomedical testing in the background.

STS055-22-004 (26 April-6 May 1993) --- Four of the seven crew members who spent 10 days aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia are pictured during a brief shift overlap period in the Spacelab D-2 Science Module. Left to right are Jerry L. Ross, Ulrich Walter, Bernard A. Harris, Jr. and Hans Schlegel. Ross, STS-55 payload commander, is changing a sample in a materials processing furnace; Walter, a German payload specialist is in the midst of a baroreflex test and fellow payload specialist Schlegel assists mission specialist and physician Harris with a physiological test at the "Anthrorack".

STS-40 Payload Specialist Millie Hughes-Fulford along with backup payload specialist Robert Ward Phillips familiarize themselves with Spacelab Life Sciences 1 (SLS-1) equipment. The two scientists are in JSC's Life Sciences Project Division (LSPD) SLS mockup located in the Bioengineering and Test Support Facility Bldg 36. Hughes-Fulford, in the center aisle, pulls equipment from an overhead stowage locker while Phillips, in the foreground, experiments with the baroreflex neck pressure chamber at Rack 11. The baroreflex collar will be used in conjuction with Experiment No. 022, Influence of Weightlessness Upon Human Autonomic Cardiovascular Control. Behind Phillips in the center aisle are body mass measurement device (BMMD) (foreground) and the stowed bicycle ergometer.

In the spacelab science module aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 102, the seven crewmembers pose for the traditional onboard (inflight) crew portrait. Displayed in the background is a flag with the International Microgravity Laboratory 2 (IML-2) insignia and Columbia inscribed along the edge. In the front row (left to right) are Mission Specialist (MS) Carl E. Walz and MS Donald A. Thomas. Behind them (left to right) are Payload Commander (PLC) Richard J. Hieb, Payload Specialist Chiaki Mukai, Commander Robert D. Cabana, MS Leroy Chiao, and Pilot James D. Halsell, Jr. Mukai represents the National Space Development Agency (NASDA) of Japan. Crewmembers are wearing their mission polo shirts for the portrait. Inside this module, the crew conducted experiments in support of the IML-2 mission.

STS040-211-020 (5-14 June 1991) --- Vestibular experiment activities were captured onboard Columbia's Spacelab Life Sciences (SLS-1) module in this 35mm scene. Astronaut James P. Bagian, STS-40 mission specialist, is in a rotating chair while wearing an accelometer and electrodes to record head motion and horizontal and vertical eye movements during the rotations. Payload specialist Millie Hughes-Fulford, lower left, assists with the test.

STS055-45-017 (26 April-6 May 1993) --- Hans Schlegel (foreground) participates in the ongoing investigation of human physiology under microgravity conditions as he works out on the ergometer at the Anthrorack. Monitoring the "run" is astronaut Bernard A. Harris, Jr., STS-55 mission specialist. Schlegel is one of two payload specialists representing the German Aerospace Research Establishment (DLR) on the Spacelab D-2 mission.

STS047-05-025 (12 - 20 Sept 1992) --- Payload specialist Mamoru Mohri, representing Japan's National Space Development Agency (NASDA), uses a microscope to produce photomicrographs of mammalian cells. The mammal cell structure experiment is one of a large number of tests that were performed during the eight-day Spacelab-J mission. On his back, Dr. Mohri totes a health monitoring experiment. The primary objective of the physiological monitoring system is to observe the health condition of the Japanese payload specialist so that good health can be maintained during and after the spaceflight.

S92-48423 (October 1992) --- Astronaut Martin J. Fettman, payload specialist.

S91-41413 (July 1991) --- Payload specialist Lawrence J. DeLucas, Ph.D.

STS065-214-037 (8-23 July 1994) --- Ready to begin one of her busy twelve hour shifts, payload specialist Dr. Chiaki Naito-Mukai enters the International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-2) science module in the cargo bay via the tunnel connecting it to the Space Shuttle Columbia's cabin. Dr. Mukai joined six NASA astronauts for more than two weeks of experimenting in Earth orbit. This photo was among the first released by NASA following IML-2. Also onboard were NASA astronauts Robert D. Cabana, James D. Halsell, Jr., Richard J. Hieb, Carl E. Walz, Donald A. Thomas and Leroy Chiao. Dr. Mukai represented the National Space Development Agency (NASDA) of Japan.

STS047-204-006 (12 - 20 Sept 1992) --- Dr. Mamoru Mohri, payload specialist representing Japan's National Space Development Agency (NASDA), participates in an experiment designed to learn more about Space Adaptation Syndrome (SAS). The experiment is titled, "Comparative Measurement of Visual Stability in Earth and Cosmic Space." During the experiment, Dr. Mohri tracked a flickering light target while eye movements and neck muscle tension were measured. This 45-degree angle position was one of four studied during the eight-day Spacelab-J mission.

STS073-225-036 (20 October-5 November 1995) --- Payload specialist Fred W. Leslie monitors the response of a liquid drop at the Drop Physics Module (DPM) in the U.S. Microgravity Laboratory (USML-2) science module aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia. Leslie joined another guest researcher and five NASA astronauts for almost 16-days of Earth-orbit research in support of the mission.

STS073-233-007 (20 October - 5 November 1995) --- Payload specialist Fred W. Leslie makes use of the versatile U.S. Microgravity Laboratory (USML-2) glovebox to conduct an investigation with the Oscillatory Thermocapillary Flow Experiment (OTFE). This complement of the Surface-Tension-Driven Convection Experiment (STDCE) studies the shapes that fluid surfaces in weightless environments assume within specific containers. Leslie was one of two guest researchers who joined five NASA astronauts for 16 days of on Earth-orbit research in support of USML-2.

STS009-125-427 (28 Nov 1983) --- Payload Specialist Byron K. Lichtenberg carries out an experiment at the fluid physics module on the busy materials science double rack facility. Two beverage containers can be seen just above the biomedical engineer's head.

STS073-E-5041 (26 Oct. 1995) --- Fred W. Leslie, STS-73 payload specialist, working out of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), in Alabama, grabs a support bar on a science workstation rack after floating from the space shuttle Columbia's cabin into the science module. Leslie is one of seven crewmembers in the midst of a 16-day multi-faceted mission aboard Columbia. For the next week and a half, Leslie and the rest of the crew will continue working in shifts around the clock on a diverse assortment of United States Microgravity Laboratory (USML-2) experiments located in the science module. Fields of study include fluid physics, materials science, biotechnology, combustion science and commercial space processing technologies. The frame was exposed with an Electronic Still Camera (ESC).

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Vice President George F. Bush, center left, is pictured with Payload Specialist Wubbo Ockels of the Netherlands during the Spacelab Arrival Ceremony. Second from left is Payload Specialist Ulf Merbold, Germany. At far right are James McCulls, chief, Special Services Branch, NASA Headquarters; and James C. Harrington, director, Spacelab Program, NASA. Overhead, astronaut Owen K. Garriott, U.S.A., stands in the Spacelab Engineering Module.

S84-47033 (nov 1984) --- Astronaut Reinhard Furrer, payload specialist D-1 German Spacelab mission.

STS-51B, Spacelab-3, Payload Specialist Lodewijk van den Berg on flight deck with earth view out window.

S84-36140 (16 June 1984) --- Lodewijk van den Berg, EG&G Corporation Spacelab 3 Payload Specialist.

S84-47034 (Nov 1984) --- Astronaut Ernst Messerschmid, payload specialist, D-1 German Spacelab mission.

The crew assigned to the STS-61A mission included (front row left to right) Reinhard Furrer, German payload specialist; Bonnie J. Dunbar, mission specialist; and Henry W. Hartsfield, Jr. commander. On the back row, left to right, are Steven R. Nagel, pilot; Guion S. Bluford, mission specialist; Ernst Messerscmid, German payload specialist; and Wubbo J. Ockels, Dutch payload specialist. Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger on October 30, 1985 at 12:00:00 noon (EST), the STS-61A mission’s primary payload was the Spacelab D-1 (German Spacelab mission).

The Space Shuttle was designed to carry large payloads into Earth orbit. One of the most important payloads is Spacelab. The Spacelab serves as a small but well-equipped laboratory in space to perform experiments in zero-gravity and make astronomical observations above the Earth's obscuring atmosphere. In this photograph, Payload Specialist, Ulf Merbold, is working at Gradient Heating Facility on the Materials Science Double Rack (MSDR) inside the science module in the Orbiter Columbia's payload bay during STS-9, Spacelab-1 mission. Spacelab-1, the joint ESA (European Space Agency)/NASA mission, was the first operational flight for the Spacelab, and demonstrated new instruments and methods for conducting experiments that are difficult or impossible in ground-based laboratories. This facility performed, in extremely low gravity, a wide variety of materials processing experiments in crystal growth, fluid physics, and metallurgy. The Marshall Space Flight Center had overall management responsibilities.

STS009-04-116 (28 Nov 1983) --- Payload Specialist Ulf Merbold shown working in the Spacelab 1 module onboard the Space Shuttle Columbia.

STS055-233-025 (26 April-6 May 1993) --- German payload specialist Hans Schlegel uses a microscope at the Biolabor workstation in the Spacelab D-2 science module. The Biolabor facility is a life sciences and biotechnology research device developed by Germany (MBB/ERNO) for use aboard Spacelab. Schlegel was joined by five NASA astronauts and a fellow German payload specialist for the 10-day mission aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia.

Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia on June 5, 1991 at 9:24; am (EDT), the STS-40 mission was the fifth dedicated Spacelab Mission, Spacelab Life Sciences-1 (SLS-1), and the first mission dedicated solely to life sciences. The STS-40 crew included 7 astronauts: Bryan D. O’Connor, commander; Sidney M. Gutierrez, pilot; F. Drew Gaffney, payload specialist 1; Milli-Hughes Fulford, payload specialist 2; James P. Bagian, mission specialist 1; Tamara E. Jernigan, mission specialist 2; and M. Rhea Seddon, mission specialist 3.

Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia on June 5, 1991 at 9:24; am (EDT), the STS-40 mission was the fifth dedicated Spacelab Mission, Spacelab Life Sciences-1 (SLS-1), and the first mission dedicated solely to life sciences. The STS-40 crew included 7 astronauts: Bryan D. O’Connor, commander; Sidney M. Gutierrez, pilot; F. Drew Gaffney, payload specialist 1; Milli-Hughes Fulford, payload specialist 2; James P. Bagian, mission specialist 1; Tamara E. Jernigan, mission specialist 2; and M. Rhea Seddon, mission specialist 3.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Operations and Checkout Building high bay, STS-47 Payload Specialist Dr. Mamoru Mohri is participating in a Mission Sequence Test of the Spacelab-J (SL-J). Also on hand for the test of planned on-orbit activities were Payload Commander Mark Lee and other members of the payload team. Spacelab-J is a joint effort between the Japanese space agency NASDA and NASA, and features an array of 44 life science and materials processing investigations. Dr. Mohri, a payload specialist, will become the first Japanese to fly on the Shuttle.

STS047-07-032 (12-20 Sept 1992) --- Astronaut Mark C. Lee, payload commander, floats through the tunnel that connects Spacelab-J's Science Module to the Space Shuttle Endeavour's cabin. Lee was in the midst of a televised "tour" of the shuttle and its primary payload when he pointed to the Japanese sign overhead, which translates to, "EXIT-ENTRANCE". Lee was joined by five NASA astronauts and a Japanese payload specialist for eight-days of research in support of the Spacelab-J project.

61A-08-018 (30 Oct.-6 Nov. 1985) --- Wubbo J. Ockels, a Dutch scientists representing the European Space Agency (ESA), crawls from an unique sleeping restraint in D-1 science module. Unlike the other crewmembers on STS 61A, Ockels did not sleep in the middeck of the Challenger. Ockels proposed this concept of sleeping facility and the actual hardware was developed by the Technisch Natur Wetenschappelyk Onderzoek (TNO), a Dutch government organization.

S91-51633 (November 1991) --- Astronaut Roberta L. Bondar, Canadian payload specialist.

S87-28666 (March 1987) --- Millie Hughes-Fulford, STS-40/SLS-1 payload specialist, stands near the Echocardiograph on Rack 6 of the SLS-1 module, during a rehearsal of experimentation scheduled for her spaceflight.

STS078-397-010 (20 June - 7 July 1996) --- Payload specialist Jean-Jacques Favier, representing the French Space Agency (CNES), and astronaut Kevin R. Kregel, pilot, perform a successful Inflight Maintenance (IFM) on the Bubble Drop Particle Unit (BDPU). The IFM technique was performed initially on the ground at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) by alternate payload specialist Pedro Duque of the European Space Agency (ESA), with the procedure being recorded on video and uplinked to the crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia to aid in the repair.

STS042-78-061 (22-30 Jan. 1992) --- The seven STS-42 crewmembers pose for a traditional in-space portrait in the shirt-sleeve environment of the International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-1) science module in the shuttle's cargo bay. (Hold picture with index numbers at top.) David C. Hilmers, mission specialist, is at top center of the 70mm image. Others pictured are (clockwise) Ronald J. Grabe, mission commander; William F. Readdy; mission specialist; Ulf Merbold, European Space Agency (ESA) payload specialist; Norman E. Thagard, payload commander; Stephen S. Oswald, pilot; and Roberta L. Bondar, Canadian payload specialist. The rotating chair, used often in biomedical tests on the eight-day flight, is (partially obscured) in center frame.

S91-52649 (Nov 1991) ---- Astronaut Ulf Merbold, PhD, European Space Agency (ESA) Payload Specialist for STS-42, International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-1).

STS078-304-018 (20 June - 7 July 1996) --- Payload specialist Robert B. Thirsk, representing the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), performs a test on his arm using the Torque Velocity Dynamometer (TVD). Dr. Thirsk was measuring changes in muscle forces of the bicep and tricep in this particular view. The TVD hardware is also used to measure leg muscle forces and velocity at the ankle and elbow joints. Crew members for the mission performed all experiment protocols prior to flight to develop a baseline and will also perform post-flight tests to complete the analysis. Additionally, muscle biopsies were taken before the flight and will be conducted after the flight.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Vice President George H.W. Bush, third from left, is pictured with the Spacelab engineering module at the Spacelab Arrival Ceremony in the Operations and Checkout Building as he visits with, from left, astronaut Claude Nicollier, European Space Agency, and payload specialists Ulf Marbod, West Germany, and Wubbo Ockels, the Netherlands. Overhead, in the module, is Owen K. Garriott, U.S. astronaut. The European-built Spacelab, designed to provide a shirt-sleeve environment for scientists working in Earth orbit, is scheduled to fly its first mission in the payload bay of the Space Shuttle in 1983.

Ampoule view of the Vapor Crystal Growth System (VCGS) Furnace. Used on IML-1 International Microgravity Laboratory Spacelab 3. Prinicipal Investigator and Payload Specialist was Lodewijk van den Berg.

S94-E-5002 (5 July 1997) --- Payload specialist Gregory J. Linteris checks on a combustion experiment onboard the Space Shuttle Columbia's Spacelab Module during flight day five activities.

Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-65) onboard photo of Payload specialist Richard J. Hieb (right) and Shuttle Pilot James D. Halsell Jr. working on experiments in the Spacelab in the International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-2).

Overall view of the Vapor Crystal Growth System (VCGS) Furnace. Used on IML-1 International Microgravity Laboratory Spacelab 3. Principal Investigator and Payload Specialist was Lodewijk van den Berg.

Activities inside the laboratory module during the Spacelab-3 mission are shown in this photograph. Left to right are astronauts Robert Overmyer, Commander of the mission; Don Lind, Mission Specialist; Lodewijk van den Berg, Payload Specialist; and William Thornton, Mission Specialist. The primary purpose of the Spacelab-3 mission was to conduct materials science experiments in a stable low-gravity environment. In addition, the crew did research in life sciences, fluid mechanics, atmospheric science, and astronomy. Spacelab-3 was equipped with several new minilabs, special facilities that would be used repeatedly on future flights. Two elaborate crystal growth furnaces, a life support and housing facility for small animals, and two types of apparatus for the study of fluids were evaluated on their inaugural flight. Spacelab-3 (STS-51B) was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger on April 29, 1985. The Marshall Space Flight Center had managing responsibilities of the mission.

STS047-203-009 (12-20 Sept 1992) --- Astronaut Mark C. Lee, payload commander, inserts a sample into the Gradient Heating Furnace (GHF) in the Spacelab-J Science Module aboard the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Endeavour. Lee, along with five other NASA astronauts and a Japanese payload specialist, conducted eight days of research in support of Spacelab-J.

STS047-230-030 (12 - 20 Sept 1992) --- Astronauts Mae C. Jemison (left) and N. Jan Davis, mission specialists, are pictured in the Spacelab-J science module preparing to conduct a session with the Lower Body Negative Pressure (LBNP) experiment. The two joined four other NASA astronauts and a payload specialist representing Japan's National Space Development Agency (NASDA) aboard the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Endeavour for eight days of Spacelab-J research.

61A-01-030 (30 Oct.-6 Nov. 1985) --- Mission specialist Guion S. Bluford prepares to perform a physics experiment onboard the D-1 science module in the cargo bay of the earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Challenger. In the backgroud, three European payload specialists busy themselves with experiment chores: (L-R) Wubbo J. Ockels (partially obscured), Reinhard Furrer and Ernst Messerschmid.

S94-E-5046 (July 1997) --- Astronaut Donald Thomas, mission specialist, sets up an experiment in the glovebox onboard the Spacelab science module. Thomas joins four other NASA astronauts and two payload specialists who are supporting the Microgravity Science Laboratory (MSL-1) mission aboard the Space Shuttle Columiba.

STS040-212-006 (5-14 June 1991) --- Payload specialist Millie Hughes-Fulford floats through the Spacelab Life Sciences (SLS-1) module aboard the Earth-orbiting Columbia. Astronaut James P. Bagian, mission specialist, is at the blood draw station in the background. The scene was photographed with a 35mm camera.

S84-43852 (November 1984) --- These seven men have been training for NASA’s Spacelab 3/STS-51B mission scheduled for launch in late April 1985. On the front row are astronauts Robert F. Overmyer (left), commander; and Frederick D. Gregory, pilot. On the back row, left to right, are Don L. Lind, mission specialist; Taylor G. Wang, payload specialist; Norman E. Thagard and William E. Thornton, both mission specialists; and Lodewijk van den Berg, payload specialist.

The STS-40 crew portrait includes 7 astronauts. Pictured on the front row from left to right are F. Drew Gaffney, payload specialist 1; Milli-Hughes Fulford, payload specialist 2; M. Rhea Seddon, mission specialist 3; and James P. Bagian, mission specialist 1. Standing in the rear, left to right, are Bryan D. O’Connor, commander; Tamara E. Jernigan, mission specialist 2; and Sidney M. Gutierrez, pilot. Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia on June 5, 1991 at 9:24; am (EDT), the STS-40 mission was the fifth dedicated Spacelab Mission, Spacelab Life Sciences-1 (SLS-1), and the first mission dedicated solely to life sciences.

STS073-101-018 (20 October-5 November 1995) --- Payload specialist Fred W. Leslie maneuvers his body to a position conducive to research at the Crystal Growth Furnace (CGF) aboard the science module in the cargo bay of the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Columbia. Crystallization has been discovered to be more effectively studied in the weightless environment of space than on Earth, because the gravity-induced phenomena that obscure or change the process or change the process are greatly reduced or eliminated. Leslie was joined by a second guest researcher and five NASA astronauts for 16 full days of in-space research in support of the United States Microgravity Laboratory (USML-2) mission.

STS073-106-001 (20 October-5 November 1995) --- Payload specialist Albert Sacco Jr. takes direction from a crew mate out of frame onboard the United States Microgravity Laboratory (USML-2) science module in the cargo bay of the Space Shuttle Columbia. Sacco was about to check out an experiment in a glovebox, which represented one of the busier areas during the 16-day USML-2 flight.

The STS-50 crew portrait includes (from left to right): Ellen S. Baker, mission specialist; Kenneth D. Bowersox, pilot; Bonnie J. Dunbar, payload commander; Richard N. Richards, commander; Carl J. Meade, mission specialist; Eugene H. Trinh, payload specialist; and Lawrence J. DeLucas, payload specialist. Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia on June 25, 1992 at 12:12:23 pm (EDT), the primary payload for the mission was the U.S. Microgravity Laboratory-1 (USML-1) featuring a pressurized Spacelab module.

STS083-308-021 (4-8 April 1997) --- Payload specialist Roger K. Crouch and astronaut Michael L. Gernhardt, mission specialist, load boxes as they prepare to deactivate the Spacelab Science Module. Crouch and Gernhardt, along with five other NASA astronauts and a second payload specialist supporting the Microgravity Sciences Laboratory (MSL-1) mission, were less than a fourth of the way through a scheduled 16-day flight when a power problem cut short their planned stay.

STS-90 crew crew portrait.. The various crew portraits were taken in the Spacelab module and include: back row (l.-r.) Payload specialists Jay Buckey and James Pawelczyk, Payload commander Richard Linnehan and Mission specialist Dafydd Rhys Williams. Bottom row (l.-r.) Pilot Scott Altman, Mission commander Richard Searfoss and Mission specialist Kathryn Hire. View 023 was selected by the crew for use in their postflight presentation.

STS055-106-037 (26 April-6 May 1993) --- Hans Schlegel works with a fungi experiment in the Spacelab D-2 Science Module onboard the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Columbia. Schlegel was one of two payload specialists representing the German Aerospace Research Establishment (DLR) on the 10-day Spacelab D-2 mission.

The seven astronauts included in the STS-55 crew portrait are: (front left to right) Terence (Tom) Henricks, pilot; Steven R. Negal, commander; and Charles J. Precourt, mission specialist. On the back row, from left to right, are Bernard A. Harris, mission specialist; Hans Schlegel, payload specialist; Jerry L. Ross, mission specialist; and Ulrich Walter, payload specialist. The crew launched aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia on April 26, 1993 at 10:50:00 am (EDT). The major payload was the German Dedicated Spacelab, D2.

During a Spacelab flight, the hub of activity was the Payload Operations Control Center (POCC) at the Johnson Space Flight Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas. The POCC became home to the management and science teams who worked around the clock to guide and support the mission. All Spacelab principal investigators and their teams of scientists and engineers set up work areas in the POCC. Through the use of computers, they could send commands to their instruments and receive and analyze experiment data. Instantaneous video and audio communications made it possible for scientists on the ground to follow the progress of their research almost as if they were in space with the crew. This real-time interaction between investigators on the ground and the crew in space was probably the most exciting of Spacelab's many capabilities. As principal investigators talked to the payload specialists during the mission, they consulted on experiment operations, made decisions, and shared in the thrill of gaining new knowledge. In December 1990, a newly-established POCC at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) opened its door for the operations of the Spacelab payloads and experiments, while JSC monitored the Shuttle flight operations. MSFC had managing responsibilities for the Spacelab missions.

STS090-378-022 (17 April - 3 May 1998) --- During a change of shift for Neurolab duty, the crew floats as a unit onboard the Spacelab Science Module on the Space Shuttle Columbia. From the left are Kathryn P. Hire, mission specialist; Jay C. Buckey, Jr. (top), payload specialist; Richard A. Searfoss, mission commander; James A. (Jim) Pawelczyk, payload specialist; Scott D. Altman, pilot; Dafydd R. (Dave) Williams, mission specialist (top); and Richard M. Linnehan, payload commander. Williams represents the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).

STS-65 Mission Specialist Carl E. Walz floats above center aisle equipment in the International Microgravity Laboratory 2 (IML-2) spacelab science module. Walz has just entered the IML-2 module via the spacelab tunnel (note hatch opening behind him). The tunnel connects the IML-2 module with Columbia's, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 102's, crew compartment. Walz along with five other NASA astronauts and a Japanese payload specialist spent more than two weeks in Earth orbit conducting IML-2 experiments. This photo was among the first released by NASA following IML-2.

S94-E-5019 (6 July 1997) --- Roger K. Crouch, payload specialist for the Microgravity Sciences Laboratory (MSL-1) mission, is seen at the experiment racks during Flight Day 6 aboard Spacelab. The photo was recorded with an Electronic Still Camera (ESC) and later downlinked to ground controllers in Houston, Texas.

Onboard Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-73) Payload Specialist Albert Sacco loads autoclaves using a power screwdriver into the Zeolite Crystal Growth (ZCG) experiment in the middeck for the United States Microgravity Laboratory 2 (USML-2) Spacelab mission.

51B-06-010 (29 April-6 May 1985) --- Lodewijk van den Berg, 51-B payload specialist, observes the growth of mercuric iodide crystal in the vapor crystal growth system (VCGS) on the Spacelab 3 science module aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger.

S85-26571 (Feb 1985) --- Wearing a special collar, Millie Hughes-Fulford, payload specialist, practices medical test operations scheduled for the Spacelab Life Sciences (SLS-1) mission. Robert Ward Phillips, backup payload specialist, looks on. The collar, called the baroflex neck pressure chamber, is designed to stimulate the bioceptors in the carotid artery, one of the two main arteries that supply blood to the head.

STS083-308-025 (4-8 April 1997) --- Payload specialist Roger K. Crouch, talks to ground controllers while working at Combustion Module-1 in the Spacelab Science Module. Crouch, along with five other NASA astronauts and a second payload specialist supporting the Microgravity Sciences Laboratory (MSL-1) mission were less than a fourth of the way through a scheduled 16-day flight when a power problem cut short their planned stay.

The crew assigned to the STS-51F mission included (kneeling left to right) Gordon Fullerton, commander; and Roy D. Bridges, pilot. Standing, left to right, are mission specialists Anthony W. England, Karl J. Henize, and F. Story Musgrave; and payload specialists Loren W. Acton, and John-David F. Bartoe. Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger on July 29, 1985 at 5:00:00 pm (EDT), the STS-51F mission’s primary payload was the Spacelab-2.

S93-45368 (29 Sept 1993) --- Payload specialist Martin J. Fettman (face obscured), in an oscillating sled device, participates in a data collection project for neurovestibular functions. Assisting the test are Dr. Laurence Young, alternate payload specialist, and an unidentified MIT student. The seven Spacelab Life Sciences (SLS-2) crew members devoted a full day to miscellaneous biomedical data collection in preparation for next month's two week mission aboard Columbia.

STS083-306-002 (4-8 April 1997) --- Payload specialist Gregory T. Linteris, talks to ground controllers while updating progress on an experiment in the Spacelab Science Module. Linteris, along with five other NASA astronauts and a second payload specialist supporting the Microgravity Sciences Laboratory (MSL-1) mission were less than a fourth of the way through a scheduled 16-day flight when a power problem cut short their planned stay.

STS083-318-001 (4-8 April 1997) --- Mission specialist Janice E. Voss, payload commander, participates in the activation of the Spacelab Science Module aboard the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Columbia. Crewed by Voss, four other NASA astronauts and two payload specialists, the scheduled 16-day mission was later cut short by a power shortage.

S85-36655 (24 June 1985) --- The seven crewmembers for STS 51-F/Spacelab 2 pose for photographers following their pre-flight press conference in the Johnson Space Center's public affairs facility. Standing, l.-r., are Karl J. Henize, mission specialist; Roy D. Bridges, pilot; C. Gordon Fullerton, mission commander; F. Story Musgrave, mission specialist; John-David Bartoe, payload specialist; and Anthony W. England, mission specialist. Loren W. Acton, payload specialist, is seated. Launch is scheduled for July of this year.

STS078-428-015 (20 June-7 July 1996) --- The crewmembers chose the Life and Microgravity Spacelab (LMS-1) Science Module as a backdrop for their traditional inflight portrait. Hold picture vertically with payload commander Susan J. Helms in lower right. Clockwise from astronaut Helms are Charles J. Brady, Richard M. Linnehan, Kevin R. Kregel, Canadian payload specialist Robert B. Thirsk, Terence T. (Tom) Henricks and French payload specialist Jean-Jacques Favier. Henricks and Kregel are commander and pilot, respectively, with Linnehan and Brady serving as mission specialists.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Space Shuttle Endeavour thunders past the uppermost reaches of the Fixed Service Structure at Launch Pad 39B after an on-schedule liftoff at 10:23:00 a.m. EDT, Sept. 12. Primary payload for the planned seven-day mission STS-47 is the Spacelab-J science laboratory. Mission Commander is Robert L. 'Hoot' Gibson; the Pilot, Curtis L. Brown Jr.; Payload Commander, Mark C. Lee; Mission Specialists, N. Jan Davis and Jay Apt; Science Mission Specialist, Dr. Mae C. Jamison; and Payload Specialist Mamoru Mohri.

S85-29307 (May 1985) --- The seven crew members for the Space Shuttle STS-51F/Spacelab 2 mission take a pause from a KSC training session to pose for a pre-flight crew portrait. Astronauts C. Gordon Fullerton (kneeling center), mission commander; and Roy D. Bridges (kneeling right), pilot; are flanked by the payload specialists and mission specialists for the mission. Standing (left to right) are astronauts Anthony W. England, Karl J. Henize and Story Musgrave - all mission specialists; and payload specialist Loren Acton and John-David Bartoe.

STS047-S-002 (June 1992) --- These seven crew members are currently in training for the STS-47/Spacelab J mission scheduled for later this year. Pictured are (left to right, front) Jerome (Jay) Apt, mission specialist; Curtis L. Brown, pilot; and (left to right, rear) N. Jan Davis, mission specialist; Mark C. Lee, payload commander; Robert L. Gibson, mission commander; Mae C. Jemison, mission specialist; and Mamoru Mohri, payload specialist, representing the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA). This is the Space Shuttle Endeavour's second scheduled mission.

S90-41365 (11 June 1990) --- Crewmembers assigned to NASA's STS-40/Spacelab Life Sciences (SLS-1) mission take a brief break during emergency egress training in the Shuttle mockup and integration laboratory at the Johnson Space Center (JSC). In the foreground are astronauts Rhea Seddon and payload specialist F. Drew Gaffney. In the background, also wearing an orange partial pressure, ascent/entry suit is astronaut Tamara E. Jernigan, mission specialist. Not in the frame are astronauts Bryan D. O'Connor, mission commander; Sidney M. Gutierrez, pilot; James P. Bagian, mission specialist, and payload specialist Millie Fulford-Hughes.

STS-35 Mission Specialist (MS) Robert A.R. Parker (left) and Payload Specialist Samuel T. Durrance practice Astronomy Laboratory 1 (ASTRO-1) experiment procedures in a space shuttle aft flight deck mockup in the Payload Crew Training Complex at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama. For all Spacelab missions, shuttle crew members train regularly in the facility in preparation to operate experiments on their Spacelab missions. The ASTRO-1 crew will operate the ultraviolet telescopes and instrument pointing system (IPS) from Columbia's, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 102's, aft flight deck. The seven-member ASTRO-1 crew will work around the clock, in 12-hour shifts, to allow the maximum number of observations to be made during their nine or ten days in orbit. In addition to the commander and pilot, the crew consistss of three MSs and two payload specialists. (MSs are career astronauts who are trained in a specialized field. Payload specialists are members of the science investigator teams who were nominated by their peers to operate their experiments on orbit. They are trained and certified for flight by NASA.) View provided by MSFC with alternate number 9005803.

STS083-302-005 (4-8 April 1997) --- Payload specialist Gregory T. Linteris enters data on the progress of a Microgravity Sciences Laboratory (MSL-1) experiment on a lap top computer aboard the Spacelab Science Module while astronaut Donald A. Thomas, mission specialist, checks an experiment in the background. Linteris and Thomas, along with four other NASA astronauts and a second payload specialist supporting the Microgravity Sciences Laboratory (MSL-1) mission were less than a fourth of the way through a scheduled 16-day flight when a power problem cut short their planned stay.

STS047-05-019 (12 - 20 Sept 1992) --- Astronaut Jerome (Jay) Apt, mission specialist, responds to a crew mate's query during a shift change in the Spacelab-J Science Module aboard the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Endeavour. Others pictured, left to right, are astronauts Mark C. Lee (immediate foreground, partially out of frame), payload commander; Mae C. Jemison and N. Jan Davis, mission specialists. The four joined two other NASA astronauts and a Japanese payload specialist for eight days aboard Endeavour in support of the joint Japanese-American effort.

STS058-S-002 (May 1993) --- Wearing training versions of their launch and entry garments, the seven crew members assigned to the Spacelab Life Sciences (SLS-2) mission are pictured in the traditional pre-flight crew portrait. Left to right (front) are David A. Wolf, and Shannon W. Lucid, both mission specialists; Rhea Seddon, payload commander; and Richard A. Searfoss, pilot. Left to right (rear) are John E. Blaha, mission commander; William S. McArthur Jr., mission specialist; and payload specialist Martin J. Fettman, DVM.

S85-26553 (Feb 1985) --- STS-40/SLS-1 payload specialist Millie Hughes-Fulford sits strapped in the special device scientists have developed for determining mass on orbit. As the chair swings back and forth, a timer records how much the crewmember's mass retards the chair's movement. Dr. Hughes-Fulford will be joined by three mission specialists, the mission commander, the pilot and a second payload specialist for the scheduled 10-day Spacelab Life Sciences-1 (SLS-1) mission. The flight is totally dedicated to biological and medical experimentation.

S84-47177 (17 Dec 1984) --- A recent flight in NASA's KC-135 aircraft gave the STS 61-A/Spacelab D-1 crewmembers a chance to get a preview of weightlessness. Mission specialists Bonnie J. Dunbar and Guion S. Bluford appear to be balancing several payload specialists during a few brief moments of microgravity. With heads near the floor are, left to right, Payload Specialists Reinhard Furrer, Ulf Merbold, Wubbo J. Ockels and Ernst Messerschmid. Ockels is from the Netherlands; the others, from Germany, with Merbold serving as backup.

STS090-378-019 (17 April - 3 May 1998) --- The Neurolab crew takes advantage of the weightlessness in the Spacelab Science Module to add a unique twist to one of their traditional in-flight space portraits. From the left (with feet toward the floor) are Scott D. Altman, pilot; Richard A. Searfoss, mission commander; and Richard M. Linnehan, payload commander. Others, from the left, are Kathryn P. Hire, mission specialist; Jay C. Buckey, Jr. and James A. (Jim) Pawelczyk, both payload specialists; and Dafydd R. (Dave) Williams, mission specialist representing the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).

STS065-S-002 (April 1994) --- Six NASA astronauts and a Japanese payload specialist take a break from training to pose for their crew portrait. Left to right are Richard J. Hieb, Leroy Chiao, James D. Halsell Jr., Robert D. Cabana, Dr. Chiaki Mukai, Donald A. Thomas and Carl E. Walz. Cabana is mission commander, and Halsell has been assigned as pilot. Hieb is payload commander, with Walz, Thomas and Chiao serving as mission specialist. Dr. Mukai represents the National Space Development Agency (NASDA) of Japan as payload specialist on the International Microgravity Laboratory (IML) mission.

STS047-12-002 (12 - 20 Sept 1992) --- The crew members assemble for their traditional in-flight portrait in this 35mm frame photographed in the Science Module aboard the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Endeavour. Left to right (front) are N. Jan Davis, Mark C. Lee and Mamoru Mohri; and (rear) Curtis L. Brown, Jr., Jerome (Jay) Apt, Robert L. Gibson and Mae C. Jemison. The seven spent eight days in space in support of the Spacelab-J mission.

STS065-05-037 (8-23 July 1994) --- In the science module aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia, four members of the crew busy themselves with experiments in support of the second International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-2) mission. Left to right are Donald A. Thomas and Leroy Chiao, both mission specialists; Richard J. Hieb, payload commander, and Dr. Chiaki Mukai of NASDA, payload specialist.

STS055-106-100 (26 April-6 May 1993) --- Hans Schlegel, wearing special glasses, works at the Robotics Experiment (ROTEX) workstation in the science module aboard the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Columbia. Schlegel was one of two payload specialists representing the German Aerospace Research Establishment (DLR) on the 10-day Spacelab D-2 mission. ROTEX is a robotic arm that operates within an enclosed workcell in rack 6 of the Spacelab module and uses teleoperation from both an onboard station located nearby in rack 4 and from a station on the ground. The device uses teleprogramming and artificial intelligence to look at the design, verification and operation of advanced autonomous systems for use in future applications.

STS058-S-090 (18 Oct 1993) --- Creating large clouds of smoke the Space Shuttle Columbia lifts off from Launch Complex 39 at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Liftoff occurred at 10:53 a.m. (EDT), October 18, 1993. Along with its Spacelab Life Sciences-2 payload, Columbia carries astronauts John E. Blaha, Richard A. Searfoss, Rhea Seddon, Shannon W. Lucid, David A. Wolf and William S. McArthur along with payload specialist Martin J. Fettman.