any large manned artificial satellite designed to orbit the earth during a long period of time thus providing a base for scientific and medical research in space and a construction site, launch pad, and docking arrangements for spacecraft
Also called: space platform, space laboratory
Examples of 'space laboratory' in a sentence
space laboratory
It delivered a 17 ½ -tonne structure, including two solar wings, which will be the first addition to the space laboratory for more than three years.