00:00 On this day in space.
00:03 On April 29th, 1985, the European Space Agency's Space Lab launched on the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission STS-51-B.
00:11 This was the second time the Space Lab went to space, and the first time it flew in a fully operational configuration.
00:17 Space Lab pilots had flown to space on three previous shuttle missions,
00:21 but this was the first time that the entire laboratory was used to conduct research in microgravity.
00:25 Space Lab provided a platform for five fields of research – astronomy, atmospheric physics, material science, life science, and fluid dynamics.
00:35 The lab was shaped like a cylinder and measured about 23 feet long, or about the length of a short school bus.
00:41 The pressurized module was housed in the shuttle's cargo bay.
00:44 Seven astronauts, two monkeys, and 24 rodents launched with Space Lab during STS-51-B.
00:50 After spending a week doing research in space, they landed safely at Edwards Air Force Base.
00:55 And that's what happened on this day in space.
00:58 [ ♪ ]
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