35 Years Ago: STS-32 Returns the Long Duration Exposure Facility
January 9, 2025
On January 9, 1990, the Space Shuttle Discovery, on mission STS-32, returned to Earth after a successful 11-day mission. The primary objective of the mission was to retrieve the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF), a satellite that had been orbiting Earth for nearly six years.
The LDEF was a cylindrical satellite, measuring 30 feet in length and 14 feet in diameter. It was launched by the Space Shuttle Challenger on April 6, 1984. The LDEF was designed to study the effects of long-term exposure to the space environment on a variety of materials and experiments.
The LDEF carried over 50 experiments, including materials science experiments, biology experiments, and radiation experiments. The experiments were designed to study the effects of space on materials such as metals, plastics, and composites. The LDEF also carried experiments to study the effects of space on living organisms, such as bacteria and plants.
The LDEF was retrieved by the Space Shuttle Discovery on January 9, 1990. The LDEF was returned to Earth in a special cradle that was designed to protect the experiments from damage during the re-entry process.
The LDEF was returned to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it was examined by scientists. The experiments on the LDEF were found to be in good condition, and the data from the experiments was used to study the effects of long-term exposure to the space environment.
The LDEF mission was a success, and it provided valuable information about the effects of space on materials and living organisms. The data from the LDEF experiments has been used to design new materials and to develop new technologies for space exploration.
35 Years Ago: STS-32 Returns the Long Duration Exposure Facility
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