Many properties of new particle field theories can only be tested by comparing their predictions about the physical conditions immediately after the big bang with what can be reconstructed about this event from astronomical data. Facts/questions about big bang, unified field theories, and universe epochs/mass are among the topics discussed. (JN)

The Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) has been designed to take advantage of the two-way transportation capability of the space shuttle by providing a large number of economical opportunities for science and technology experiments that require modest electrical power and data processing while in space and which benefit from postflight…