jtb@phs.UUCP (11/30/83)
The Spacelab is incapable of free flying operations it draws power and other services form the shuttle. The ESA and NASA are considering a follow on design baised on the Spacelab which would be free flying. One reasion it was designed to return to earth each time is that it is designed to be rapidly reconfigurable for different kinds of research, the concept being that it will be used mostly for short term and piolet studies. The Skylab was large inside because it was built inside an empty fuel tank. Jose Torre-Bueno decvax!duke!phs!jtb