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Skylab D024 thermal control coatings and polymeric films experimentThe Skylab D024 Thermal Control Coatings and Polymeric Films Experiment was designed to determine the effects of the external Skylab space environment on the performance and properties of a wide variety of selected thermal control coatings and polymeric films. Three duplicate sets of thermal control coatings and polymeric films were exposed to the Skylab space environment for varying periods of time during the mission. The specimens were retrieved by the astronauts during extravehicular activities (EVA) and placed in hermetically sealed return containers, recovered, and returned to the Wright Laboratory/Materials Laboratory/WPAFB, Ohio for analysis and evaluation. Postflight analysis of the three sets of recovered thermal control coatings indicated that measured changes in specimen thermo-optical properties were due to a combination of excessive contamination and solar degradation of the contaminant layer. The degree of degradation experienced over-rode, obscured, and compromised the measurement of the degradation of the substrate coatings themselves. Results of the analysis of the effects of exposure on the polymeric films and the contamination observed are also presented. The D024 results were used in the design of the LDEF M0003-5 Thermal Control Materials Experiment. The results are presented here to call to the attention of the many other LDEF experimenters the wealth of directly related, low earth orbit, space environmental exposure data that is available from the ten or more separate experiments that were conducted during the Skylab mission. Results of these experiments offer data on the results of low altitude space exposure on materials recovered from space with exposure longer than typical STS experiments for comparison with the LDEF results.
Document ID
19930003596
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Lehn, William L. (Nichols Research Corp. Dayton, OH, United States)
Hurley, Charles J. (Dayton Univ. Research Inst., OH., United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
September 1, 1992
Publication Information
Publication: NASA. Langley Research Center, LDEF Materials Workshop 1991, Part 1
Subject Category
Nonmetallic Materials
Accession Number
93N12784
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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IDRelationTitle19930003581Collected WorksLDEF Materials Workshop 1991, part 1
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