<title>Spacelab Utilization For Future Optics Technology And Applications</title>

Abstract

During the timeframe from 1980 to the year 2000, optics technology and applications experiments will require spacecraft that yield the maximum benefit at minimum cost. Current NASA plans include Spacelab, Power Extension Package (PEP), 25 kW Power System (PS), and a Science Applications and Space Platform (SASP), to satisfy the user needs in low earth orbit (LEO) and geosynchronous orbit (GEO). The purpose of this paper is to acquaint the optics technology user with NASA planning applicable to their future needs. This paper identifies current NASA concepts, including Spacelab hardware, that can be utilized to achieve a broad spectrum of optics scientific and application missions. Evolving configurations of Spacelab hardware elements will be shown that can be utilized as an orbital test platform in LEO and GEO. The orbital test platform concept allows the optics user to test their instrument on nominal Spacelab/Orbiter seven-day missions, and if everything works as planned, use the same instrument, with identical Spacelab interfaces, on 30-day and longer duration missions. This concept will reduce the cost of testing optics instruments by thoroughly testing the total system, i.e., instrument, interfaces, and ground and mission operations, before committing a very costly instrument to a long duration mission. Taking into account the long lead times required to design, develop, and deliver experiment hardware, now is the time to begin planning optics experiments and payloads that take advantage of the unique capabilities described in this paper.