Spacelab

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/spacelab

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the system architecture?Modular laboratory consisting of pressurized modules and unpressurized pallets
2. What is the primary operational era?1983-1998 (as part of the Space Shuttle program)
3. What is Spacelab and why was it built?Spacelab is a big science lab that floats in space and is carried by the Space Shuttle. It was built so astronauts could do many kinds of experiments in space, turning the shuttle into a research platform.
4. How did Spacelab help astronauts do experiments in space?It had a pressurized module where astronauts could work inside like a normal lab, and an unpressurized pallet that let instruments touch space directly. This design let scientists study things that need a space environment.

Modular Design: A system composed of interchangeable or connectable units that can be assembled in various configurations.
Shirt-Sleeve Environment: An environment within a spacecraft where the atmosphere is similar to Earth's, allowing astronauts to work without spacesuits.
International Space Station (ISS): A large, habitable artificial satellite in low Earth orbit, serving as a multinational collaborative research facility.