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      Press Release Nr.04-93
      Paris, 25 January 1993

      ESA's Spacelab once again in space for Europe

      Europe and ESA will soon be once more in the forefront of manned
      space flight. The launch of the second German Spacelab mission
      (D-2) is scheduled for 25 February 1993. For nine days, Space
      Shuttle Columbia will carry in its cargo bay the ESA developed
      Spacelab on a mission to conduct fundamental research in the
      fields of material sciences (fluid physics and material processes),
      life sciences (biology, human physiology and radiation biology),
      astronomy, Earth observation and robotics.

      A crew of 7 astronauts, 5 from NASA and 2 payload specialists
      from DLR -the German Aerospace Research Establishment - will
      have the task of executing some 90 experiments, 32 of which have
      been funded and developed under ESA responsibility for scientists
      from university and research institutes spread all over Europe.

      Spacelab as a manned orbiting laboratory, has already flown 6
      times. Spacelab technology (unmanned, pallet-only versions of the
      laboratory) has also been used several other times. The year 1993
      marks both the 20th anniversary of the programme and the 10th
      anniversary of the first flight which occurred in November 1983
      (STS-9/ Spacelab 1).

      This will be the second time that the responsibility for the
      complete scientific programme of a manned space mission is fully
      in German hands. As was the case for the Spacelab D-1 mission in
      1985, DLR has been entrusted by the German Federal Ministry for
      Research and Technology (BMFT) with the project management,
      the training of the scientific astronauts and the operation of
      the payload. DLR's dedicated space operations control centre
      for D-2 is located in Oberpfaffenhofen, near Munich in Germany.

      ESA's contribution to this mission is remarkable: five of the 32
      ESA experiments flown are contained in the Advanced Fluid
      Physics Module (AFPM) for investigation in fluid physics and 19
      are placed in the so called Anthrorack for human physiology
      research in microgravity. Furthermore, six experiments in the
      field of material synthesis and two experiments for the future
      Columbus Attached Laboratory -the European contribution to the
      International Space Station Freedom- will also be flown on D-2.

      The D-2 press centre will be set-up at DLR's Operations Control
      Centre in Oberpfaffenhofen for the duration of the whole mission.



      From 09h00 till 18h00 media will be able to cover the mission in all
      its aspects through video and audio links and follow mission
      control specialists and scientists from close by. Status briefings
      will be held in German  daily and press releases will also be issued
      in German and English. Interviews with  key ESA personnel can be
      arranged through the ESA Public Relations desk in the press
      centre.

      News media intending to cover the mission from the D-2 press
      centre will have to seek accreditation in writing or by Fax directly
      at:

      DLR Public Affairs Office, Linder Hohe - D-5000 Koln Porz
      (Germany)
      Fax: + 49 2203 601 3249
      with copy to :
      ESA Public Relations Office
      8-10 Rue Mario Nikis - F-75015 Paris (Fax: + 33 1 42 73 7690)

Regards Hermann Schneider
        Network Coordinator
        ESOC (European Space Agency's Operations Centre)