STS-50 Payload (Spacelab USML-1)

Space Shuttle Columbia was launched on June 25, 1992 carrying the "United States Microgravity Laboratory-1". This was a Spacelab mission dedicated to advance microgravity research in a broad number of disciplines. It was the first Extended Duration Orbiter flight and the longest Space Shuttle mission to date at that time (13 days). Main payloads were the Spacelab module (USML-1) and the EDO kit on its first flight. This kit included equipment and fuel for extra energy production, additional nitrogen tanks for cabin air and a regeneration system to remove carbon dioxide. Other payload was the OARE (Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment), that provided measurements of orbiter aerodynamic data within the thin atmosphere of extreme altitudes. It was installed at the bottom of the payload on a special plate on bay 11.

The Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment II (SAREX-II) was part of the Secondary payload experiments. Columbia's tailfin was equipped for the first time with the Drag chute and the SILTS pod on its sixth flight.

Landing occured on July 9, 1992 and was diverted to Kennedy Space Center due to bad weather at the primary landing site at Edwards Air Force Base. This marked the 10th Space Shuttle landing at KSC and first for Columbia.

USML-1 patch source: www.spacefacts.de

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