LDEF /Long Duration Exposure Facility/ - A new experiment carrier

The LDEF, which is being developed by NASA, is to be placed into orbit by the Space Shuttle for the conduction of technological, scientific, and application-oriented experiments in space. It is intended to use the LDEF as a basis for carrying out comparatively simple experiments with low-level requirements with respect to energy and data processing. The results of the experiments can be studied afterwards in ground-based laboratories when the LDEF has been brought back again to earth by the Space Shuttle. In the first mission, which is to begin in July 1979, the LDEF is to remain in orbit for a time period lasting from 6 to 12 months. A second mission, which is to begin in summer 1980 will have a duration of 10 years. The LDEF consists of a cylindrical aluminum frame. It is intended that the LDEF is to be used by experimenters who will design, construct, and mount their own experiments. Experiments selected for the first flight are related to the study of meteorites, investigations of the effectiveness of new coatings for the thermal control of spacecraft, the long-term behavior of solar cells in space, and the study of the behavior of optical components in space.