Spacelab - The first laboratory in space

The Spacelab, developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) for launch in the Space Shuttle, is described, with emphasis on its data processing system. The volume of data that will be gathered during each of the approximately fifty missions scheduled for the Spacelab during the decade 1980 to 1990 requires that experimental data acquisition and processing systems be included in the module. Characteristics of the data processing system chosen for the Spacelab, including its analog and digital storage capacity, its ability to generate command signals for ongoing experiments, and its capability of interacting with a ground-based communications system, are discussed. Resistance to the arduous space environment, adaptability to a variety of experimental applications, and the ability to interact with onboard scientists and engineers are also desirable properties of the system.