LDEF (Flight), AO171 : Solar-Array-Material s Passive LDEF Experiment, Tray A08 EL-1994-00666 LDEF (Flight), AO171 : Solar-Array-Material s Passive LDEF Experiment, Tray A08 The flight photograph was taken from the Orbiter aft flight deck during the LDEF retrieval prior to berthing the LDEF in the Orbiter cargo bay and shows the Solar Array Materials Passive LDEF Experiment (SAMPLE) on the LDEF. Six (6) plates of passive components, provided by various experiment organizations and designated plate I thru plate VI, are shown mounted in a three (3) inch deep LDEF peripheral tray. All six plates are aluminum and attach to the LDEF experiment tray with non-magnetic stainless steel fasteners. Plate I, located in the upper left corner, consist of a combination of solar cells with and without covers, solar cell modules and solar arrays assembled on the baseplate. Two of the four solar arrays are missing and one appears to be attached at only one corner. Other components appear to be secure. Plate II in the left center section, has twenty-seven (27) composite samples, carbon fiber and glass fiber, mounted on the baseplate. The composites appear to be intact with no physical damage. Plate III, in the lower left corner, consist mostly of metallized and thin polymeric films (Kapton, Mylar, TEFLON® , white Tedlar,etc.). The thin films without protective coatings sustained significant damage and most were destroyed. The metallized film apparently survived with minimum damage. Plate IV located in the upper right corner consist of metals and coatings mounted in an aluminum baseplate and covered with a thin aluminum coverplate that partially mask the specimen. Several of the coatings appear to have changed to a darker color and a light brown discoloration appears around the outer edges of the mounting plate and along the right edge of the coverplates. Plate V, in the right center section, contained thermal plastics and structural film configured into tensile and shear specimen. All specimens, including the tape holding down the small specimen in the lower right corner, have darkened significantly during the extended time in space. Plate VI, in the lower right corner, is populated with solar cells and associated components such as covers, encapsulants,adhesiv es, etc.. The solar cell components appear to be intact with no apparent physical damage.The colors of the specimen, however, appear to have darkened.
