Rockwell International has long endeavored to stimulate industrial utilization of space for materials processing. A successful introductory briefing program to acquaint nonaerospace industry with the space environment, microgravity process phenomena, experiment hardware, and the programs available to conduct research in space has encouraged several companies to initiate space processing research projects.

To help satisfy industry's microgravity experiment hardware requirements, Rockwell has developed a multipurpose materials processing laboratory for use on the Space Shuttle. The Fluids Experiment Apparatus (FEA) has been flown to perform floating zone crystal growth and purification research and is currently being used to support further crystal growth research with advanced materials for Rockwell. Other companies are preparing experiments that are expected to be conducted in the FEA on future Space Shuttle missions.

Rockwell is developing, with NASA, a program that will allow industry to plan and fly microgravity materials processing experiments within a few months–much faster than the current one to two year lead time. This low-cost program, patterned after the NASA Joint Endeavor Program, provides Space Shuttle flight services and use ot the FEA to conduct scientific investigations. Rockwell plans to offer experiment integration and support services to industry as needed.