Launch from Cape Canaveral (KSC); landing on Cape Canaveral (KSC).

It was the final mission of Spacelab; mission Neurolab. The goals of Neurolab are to study basic research questions and to increase the understanding of the mechanisms responsible for neurological and behavioral changes in space. Specifically, experiments will study the adaptation of the vestibular system and space adaptation syndrome, the adaptation of the central nervous system and the pathways which control the ability to sense location in the absence of gravity, and the effect of microgravity on a developing nervous system. 31 experiments for researching the effects of microgravity on the nervous system (e.g. with rats) were carried out. The first operation in space on living animals was done.

Other payloads included the Shuttle Vibration Forces experiment, the Bioreactor Demonstration System-04, and three Get-Away Special (GAS) canister investigations.