Angol
t~icrogravity research, a new field originating from the accessibility of space, has reached the age of adolescence. An impressive set of results has emerged from the fi rst Space 1 ab fl i ght, whi ch by now has been fully evaluated. In view of this and the wealth of information available from other space experiments, ground based research, and short-term microgra vity experiments in ai rp 1 anes, rockets or fall towers, it was felt that the time was ripe for a comprehensive review of the field. The initiative of the US to build a permanent station in space, which was soon followed by a European decision to join this venture, further focussed attention onto microgravity materials sciences. This originates from the interesting prospects of a commercial space uti 1 ization, which would heavily rely on the results of scientific or technical experiments in space. From this point of view it also seemed timely and essential to provi de prospective commerci a 1 users with the necessary i nformat i on on previous experience, and more importantly, with a sound scientific basis for space processing. The aim of the present volume consequently is twofold, namely - to stimulate new scientific experiments in space in order to expand our knowledge gained from microgravity research, and to provide industry with the information obtained from space experi ments sofar and to contribute to the scientific background for commer cial space utilization.
