The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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The Spacelab D2 mission (STS-55), utilising the American space shuttle Columbia, is due to be launched on April 26th, 1993. This documentary gives an overview of the preparation for the D2 project and, although some details are technical, it is suitable for a general audience. 16 of the 90 or so scheduled experiments have originated from DLR (the German Aerospace Research Establishment). The film details some of the in-flight research to be performed.
Sequences are arranged as follows:
-the 1985 D1 mission, photographs of the Earth;
-PROJECT MANAGEMENT- preparation of experiments, the space operations centre, contruction of hardware;
-ASTRONAUTS: profiles of the nine astronauts (including backup) taking part in the mission. ESA astronauts involved were Schlegel and Walter;
-TRAINING: DLR microgravity simulation, astronaut training, diving, parabolic flights, experiment instruction and training, cycling respirometer experiment;
-EXPERIMENTS: in-flight footage, fluid globules in microgravity, weightless crew