A spacecraft designed to facilitate different types of scientific observations and experiments. It provides all the necessary utilities for payloads, the modules of which can be attached via a platform equipment deck. The MMS, which can be serviced while orbiting, was developed at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center for the Solar Max spacecraft (1980). Later examples have included the Upper-Atmosphere Research Satellite and the Extreme-Ultraviolet Explorer.
Subjects: Astronomy and Astrophysics.