This week in 1995, the space shuttle Columbia and STS-73 launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center carrying USML-2, the U.S. Microgravity Laboratory-2. Here, the lab is visible in the orbiter’s cargo bay. U.S. Microgravity Laboratory-2, managed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, conducted experiments on fluid physics and the effects of microgravity on combustion and the formation of semiconductor crystals. 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)