This week in 1992, space shuttle Endeavour and STS-47 launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, beginning the 50th shuttle mission of the program. The mission carried a crewed Spacelab module, Spacelab-J, a joint venture between NASA and the National Space Development Agency of Japan, which conducted microgravity investigations in life and materials sciences. Today, the Payload Operations Integration Center at Marshall serves as “science central” for the space station, working 24/7, 365 days a year in support of the orbiting laboratory’s scientific experiments. 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)