Examples of current cooperative projects in space flight LDEF and Giotto

The long-duration-exposure facility (LDEF) to be placed in orbit by STS-41-C for a 10-month mission and the ESA Giotto spacecraft to be Ariane launched in July 1985, for rendezvous with Comet Halley are characterized, with a focus on dust-detection instruments. LDEF carries 86 experiment trays containing 48 experiments, of which seven (occupying 37 trays) are to investigate cosmic dust. The 240 10 x 10-cm dust detectors consist mainly of a 2.5-micron-thick mylar foil coated with 100 nm of Ta and 5 nm of Au/Pd (on the underside and external surface, respectively) and Ge target plates. The overall plan of the Giotto mission and the history of Halley observations are reviewed; the spacecraft (based on the GEOS satellite) is described; and the instruments and experiments are listed. The impact-plasma monitor, particle-impact analyzer (a mass spectrograph), and dust-impact detector are discussed in detail and illustrated with photographs.