The Space Debris Impact Experiment consists of a three sixteenth (3/16) of an inch thick chromic anodized aluminum panel mounted in a three (3) inch deep LDEF experiment tray. The side of the plate exposed to the LDEF interior is painted with Chemglaze Z-306 flat black paint over a Chemglaze 9924 wash primer. The panels are attached to the aluminum tray structure with non-magnetic stainless steel fasteners. The panel coatings, a thin layer of chromic anodize facing out and the Chemglaze Z-306 black paint facing the LDEF interior, contribute significantly to thermal control of the LDEF spacecraft. The flight photograph was taken while the LDEF was attached to the Orbiter's RMS arm prior to berthing in the Orbiter's cargo bay. The color of the paint dots on the experiment tray clamp blocks, orginally white, show a tan stain that gets darker near the venting area of the end thermal panels. The stain also covers the top and left flanges of the experiment tray and to a lesser degree, the lower and left tray flanges. Light colored discolorations are located near the left of the debris panel. The vertical lines and the pinkish color of the debris panel are chromic anodize coating by products and not attributed to contamination and/or exposure to the space environment.
