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> Deployment of the LDEF satellite.

Deployment of the LDEF satellite.

author: Nasa/Novapix

reference: e-sat01-00111

Image Size 300 DPI: 25 * 20 cm

This is an onboard photo of the deployment of the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) from the cargo bay of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Challenger STS-41C mission, April 7, 1984. After a five year stay in space, the LDEF was retrieved during the STS-32 mission by the Space Shuttle Orbiter Columbia in January 1990 and was returned to Earth for close examination and analysis. The LDEF was designed to test the performance of spacecraft materials, components, and systems that have been exposed to the environment of micrometeoroids, space debris, radiation particles, atomic oxygen, and solar radiation for an extended period of time.

Keywords for this photo:

1984 - ARTIFICIAL SATELLITE - BAJA CALIFORNIA - CHALLENGER - DEPLOYMENT - EARTH - EARTH FROM SPACE - EXPERIMENT - LDEF - LIMB - PAYLOAD BAY - SPACE - SPACE SHUTTLE - STS-41-C -