This week in 1993, space shuttle Columbia, mission STS-55, launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center carrying an international crew of seven in support of the Spacelab D-2 mission. D-2 became the second Spacelab flight under German mission management. Two teams performed around-the-clock operations, conducting 88 experiments covering materials and life sciences, technology applications, Earth observations, astronomy, and atmospheric physics. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center was responsible for managing the Spacelab missions. Today, the Payload Operations Integration Center at Marshall serves as “science central” for the International Space Station, working 24/7, 365 days a year in support of the orbiting laboratory’s science experiments. After 20 years of continuous human presence, the space station remains the sole space-based proving ground and stepping stone toward achieving the goals of the Artemis program. The NASA History Program is responsible for generating, disseminating, and preserving NASA’s remarkable history and providing a comprehensive understanding of the institutional, cultural, social, political, economic, technological, and scientific aspects of NASA’s activities in aeronautics and space. For more pictures like this one and to connect to NASA’s history, visit the Marshall History Program’s webpage. (NASA)