Paper Session II-B - Past and Future Payloads for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration\u27s Microgravity Science and Applications Program

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration\u27s (NASA) Microgravity Science and Applications Program sponsors basic and applied scientific investigations requiring reduced or near-zero gravity conditions. The absence of gravity-induced phenomena such as buoyancy-driven convection, sedimentation, and hydrostatic pressure in experiments conducted in space provides a unique opportunity to obtain valuable insights into a wide variety of physical processes and materials. Knowledge gained from experiments conducted in space improves our understanding of scientific principles and phenomena, which can, in turn, provide important contributions to Earth-based technology and manufacturing processes. This paper provides an overview of NASA\u27s Microgravity Science and Applications Program, with an emphasis on recent flight activity and planned future utilization of Shuttle, Spacelab, and Space Station Freedom