STS-40, the eleventh launch of Space Shuttle Columbia, was a nine-day mission in June 1991. It carried the Spacelab module for Spacelab Life Sciences 1 (SLS-1), the fifth Spacelab mission and the first dedicated solely to biology. STS-40 was the first spaceflight that included three women crew members.
Spacelab Module LM1 in Columbia's payload bay, serving as the Spacelab Life Sciences laboratory
Back row: Bryan D. O'Connor, Tamara E. Jernigan, Sidney M. Gutierrez Front row: F. Drew Gaffney, Millie Hughes-Fulford, Rhea Seddon, James P. BagianSpace Shuttle program← STS-39 (40)STS-43 (42) →
Launch of STS-40
Payload bay configuration for the STS-40 mission
Spacelab was a reusable laboratory developed by European Space Agency (ESA) and used on certain spaceflights flown by the Space Shuttle. The laboratory comprised multiple components, including a pressurized module, an unpressurized carrier, and other related hardware housed in the Shuttle's cargo bay. The components were arranged in various configurations to meet the needs of each spaceflight.
Spacelab art, with lab interior cutaway, 1981
Wubbo Ockels in the lab, 1985
Mercuric iodide crystals grown on Spacelab 3
Artist's impression of the Spacelab 2 mission, showing some of the various experiments in the payload bay
