Control panel for the Skylab Materials Science Furnace, which supported a number of experiments to study various properties of materials in a microgravity environment. The box measures 10″ x 6″ x 8.5″ and features controls for various heating and cool-down modes, including several selector switches, adjustment knobs for "Soak Temp," "Soak Period," "Cool Down," and "Cartridge Temp," and a digital temperature readout display. The back has a substantial mounting fixture with threaded adjustment device. On the top are handwritten numbers and an affixed tag reading: "Item #2, P/S 10, 1 or 2, 7-0-10-00160, Lehozcky, ES75" (a noteworthy name, as Dr. Sandor 'Alex' Lehoczky was later one of NASA's leading researchers on the effects of gravitational forces on compositional and crystal quality in complex alloys during the Space Shuttle era). A NASA property label is affixed to one side.
The Skylab M518 Electric Furnace was part of the M512 Materials Processing Facility, located in the Multiple Docking Adapter (MDA), one of the primary elements of the Skylab space station. This equipment was designed to provide a means for experimentation in solidification, crystal growth, composite structures, alloy structural characteristics, and other thermal processes involving changes in materials under conditions of weightlessness.
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