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 laboratory investigations with the retrieved hardware. Many of the experiments are completely passive and depend on postflight laboratory investigations for the experimental results. The LDEF is essentially a free-flying cylindrical structure which can accommodate 86 experimental trays mounted on its exterior; like the space shuttle, the LDEF is reusable. This book provides descriptions of 57 experiments from the United States and eight other countries scheduled for the first LDEF mission on STS-13 (Space Transportation System). Each description includes background information, objective(s), and experimental approaches used. The disciplines covered include materials, coatings, thermal systems, power, propulsion, astrophysics, lunar and planetary sciences, biological sciences, electronics, and optics. (Author/JN)