LDEF (Flight), M0001 : Heavy Ions in Space, Tray H03

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES

09.23.2009

Courtesy Photo

NASA

LDEF (Flight), M0001 : Heavy Ions in Space, Tray H03 EL-1994-00670 The flight photograph of the Heavy Ions in Space Experiment was taken from the Orbiter's aft flight deck during LDEF retrieval operations. A light tan stain can be seen on the LDEF end structure along the left edge of the experiment tray flange. Lighter stains are also visible on the tray flange between the top and the center tray clamp blocks on that side. The photograph shows four (4) experiment modules mounted in the LDEF provided end center experiment tray. An experiment module consist of the thermal cover, a top stack of Lexan sheets for detecting low-energy ions, a honeycomb pressure cover and the main stack of CR-39 used to detect cosmic rays mounted in an aluminum housing. The four modules are identical in materials and construction. The exposed surface of each module is a white paint overcoat, Chemglaze II A 276, that has been applied to the top layer, aluminized Kapton, of a multi-layer thermal blanket. The frame around each of the four modules, a Z shaped aluminum structure, is covered with a sil verized TEFLON_ film secured with 3M Y966 acrylic transfer tape. The 3M Y966 transfer tape on a siliverized TEFLON_ film is also used to attach the four edges of the multi-layer thermal blankets to the modules frame. The combination of the silverized TEFLON_ and the white paint provides the appropriate optical properities needed to meet experiment thermal requirements. The multi-layer thermal insulation blanket has extensive damage. The tape joints have failed along two (2) sides of each experiment module and have allowed the multi-layer insulation blan ket to curled back over its self. The golden colored surfaces that have been exposed are the top sheet of the experiment's Lexan detector stacks that are held securely in place by the Z shaped alu minum structure.

NASA Identifier: NIX-EL-1994-00670

• Date Taken: 09.23.2009
• Date Posted: 10.10.2012 15:36
• Photo ID: 704801
• Resolution: 1442x1536
• Size: 440.83 KB
• Location: WASHINGTON, DC, US