The European participation in manned spaceflight had a strong impact on research in the natural sciences because weightlessness became available as experimental condition. Preparation for Spacelab required many decisions on organization, funding and allocation of resources. Lessons were learned from results obtained in precursors like Skylab or in unmanned programs such as TEXUS. ESA with scientists from the major disciplines instituted Working Groups that acted as consultant bodies. European experiment hardware has been realized by industry using specifications and not, traditionally, by evolution in a laboratory. The development of the Fluid Physics Module preceded many instruments for liquid research in space. The training of Payload Specialists for the operation of the FPM included theory of fluids and laboratory instruction. The dynamics of spacecraft with a partially filled tank can be studied in weightlessness only. Observation of the liquid behaviour inside the tank is a challenging problem but the momentum of the rigid part of the spacecraft can be tracked accurately. Analytical expressions for transient liquid flow in a moving tank should be identified, together with the tank motion. A validated model of liquid momentum transfer during spacecraft manoeuvres will make many missions more efficient and less costly. Sloshsat FLEVO was flown to provide reference data for this purpose.