  The PAMELA experiment is a satellite-borne apparatus designed to study
charged particles in the cosmic radiation with a particular focus on
antiparticles. PAMELA is mounted on the Resurs DK1 satellite that was launched
from the Baikonur cosmodrome on June 15th 2006. The PAMELA apparatus comprises
a time-of-flight system, a magnetic spectrometer, a silicon-tungsten
electromagnetic calorimeter, an anticoincidence system, a shower tail catcher
scintillator and a neutron detector. The combination of these devices allows
antiparticles to be reliably identified from a large background of other
charged particles. This paper reviews the design, space qualification and
on-ground performance of PAMELA. The in-orbit performance will be discussed in
future publications.
