[The Spacelab program: a major gateway to biological and medical research]

The Spacelab programme will run for about 10 years starting from 1980. It is the outcome of scientific, technological and financial cooperation between NASA and ESA. The latter has got together a large laboratory which will be equipped in accordance with individual flight programmes. A large number of scientists are involved in the preparation of suitable and original research projects. The main features of the laboratory and its vector are described and a brief reference is made to main advances that have been gathered from previous medical and biological programmes. The essential aspects of the nine European programmes (one of which was put forward by Italy) accepted for the first flight are explained.