Europe's first manned space laboratory is to be manufactured by cons ortium headed by the Bremen space technology company ERNO-Raumfahrt-tec hnik. The new project was initialled recently by the Paris-based ESRO t he European space organisation. Spacelab production and deployment (wit h the combined unit consisting essentially of a crew entrance chamber ( 1) a pressurized cabin (2) and an instrument platform for space experim ents) is expected to usher in anew era in space technology with NASA ex perts hopeful of two developments in particular: sharp curtailments in equipment and material wastage and reductions in space flight costs.