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  Where is the Long Duration Exposure Facility?

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Author Topic:   Where is the Long Duration Exposure Facility?
Lunar Module 5
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Posts: 370
From: Wales, UK
Registered: Dec 2004

posted 01-15-2011 10:59 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Lunar Module 5   Click Here to Email Lunar Module 5     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
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
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Posts: 46835
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 01-15-2011 11:17 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
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
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Posts: 3454
From: Toms River, NJ
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 01-15-2011 08:25 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Hart Sastrowardoyo   Click Here to Email Hart Sastrowardoyo     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
A few years ago, I saw an L-shaped piece of the LDEF in Terry Hart's office.

Lunar Module 5
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Posts: 370
From: Wales, UK
Registered: Dec 2004

posted 01-16-2011 04:46 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Lunar Module 5   Click Here to Email Lunar Module 5     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
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

posted 01-16-2011 03:24 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for tegwilym   Click Here to Email tegwilym     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
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
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Posts: 239
From: Sacramento, CA
Registered: Oct 2004

posted 02-02-2011 10:40 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Rusty B   Click Here to Email Rusty B     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
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
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Posts: 3454
From: Toms River, NJ
Registered: Aug 2000

posted 02-03-2011 10:23 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Hart Sastrowardoyo   Click Here to Email Hart Sastrowardoyo     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
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.

All times are CT (US)

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