Author
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Topic: Where is the Long Duration Exposure Facility?
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Lunar Module 5 Member Posts: 370 From: Wales, UK Registered: Dec 2004
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posted 01-15-2011 10:59 AM
Anyone know what happened to the LDEF (Long Duration Exposure Facility) after it was brought back to Earth by the STS-32 crew on space shuttle Columbia? I am guessing the experiments were all removed, but what happened to the actual LDEF structure? |
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 46835 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 01-15-2011 11:17 AM
According to the Langley Research Center's (LaRC) website... The LDEF space flight and ground control hardware is stored in a distributed archive system. The primary archive for all LDEF hardware is LaRC, which is responsible for maintaining an index of all LDEF hardware. A small subset collection of LDEF hardware is stored and maintained by the M&D SIG at The Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas for the purpose of meteoroid and debris research. An additional subset, kept for the purpose of materials specimens and associated research, is stored at The Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. |
Hart Sastrowardoyo Member Posts: 3454 From: Toms River, NJ Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 01-15-2011 08:25 PM
A few years ago, I saw an L-shaped piece of the LDEF in Terry Hart's office. |
Lunar Module 5 Member Posts: 370 From: Wales, UK Registered: Dec 2004
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posted 01-16-2011 04:46 AM
Thanks for the info. I wonder if it will ever be displayed in its flight configuration (or maybe a model of it) when the shuttle is retired. It's one of the few pieces of hardware that has been deployed, recaptured and returned to earth by the shuttle. It certainly has its place in shuttle history. |
tegwilym Member Posts: 2339 From: Sturgeon Bay, WI Registered: Jan 2000
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posted 01-16-2011 03:24 PM
I have some tomato seeds that were on board LDEF. Never planted of course. I have them framed in the package above my desk here. |
Rusty B Member Posts: 239 From: Sacramento, CA Registered: Oct 2004
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posted 02-02-2011 10:40 PM
I have a sealed packet of those seeds also. I was surprised when I looked up the launch and landing missions for the LDEF. It was launched by the Challenger and returned by the Columbia. |
Hart Sastrowardoyo Member Posts: 3454 From: Toms River, NJ Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 02-03-2011 10:23 AM
Original plan was for LDEF to be retrieved by 51D, and that mission was given to crews led by Shaw-O'Connor; Brandenstein-Creighton; and then Bobko-Williams. While not mentioning LDFE specifically, Cleave told me she trained with 20 different payloads, so you can see how frantic things were as delays caused payloads to be moved around. |