We know these experiments work, but that's as far as we got. It's now time to finish the job, to complete the data. After reaching an altitude of 160 nautical miles above Earth, where Space Shuttle Columbia will orbit for the next 16 days, members of the crew began work immediately to set up the Spacelab. A versatile research laboratory inside the cargo bay of the Space Shuttle, the Spacelab will serve as the astronauts' workplace for the next two-plus weeks. Payload Commander Dr. Janice Voss and Payload Specialist Dr. Roger Crouch floated into the Spacelab late this afternoon and began preparing to activate the 33 microgravity science experiments carried aboard the orbiter.
Combustion is an important energy-producing process.
Findings from these investigations conducted in the Combustion Module will provide researchers with a better understanding of the combustion process and may lead to improvements in combustion engines, increasing fuel efficiency and reducing emissions. Results may also lead to improvements in fire safety, benefiting mining, chemical manufacturing and aerospace industries. It is designed for quick and easy installation of hardware and experiments on Space Station. Over the next 12 hours, working with science teams on the ground at Marshall, crew members will continue to prepare the Spacelab and begin initiating experiments. This technology allows scientists on the ground to monitor their experiments, change parameters and improve the quality and quantity of scientific information gathered during the mission.