Interactions of the space environments with the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF)

Abstract

The Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) was retrieved from space after 69 months in orbit. Post-retrieval observations of the facility and the 57 experiments that were onboard have revealed unique and valuable observations of the space environments and the interactions of these environments with the LDEF during the prolonged stay. This paper describes the LDEF, the onboard experiments, the flight mission, and what some of the post-retrieval LDEF observations have revealed about the radiation, meteoroids, manmade debris, atomic oxygen, and contamination environments and their effects on spacecraft.