LDEF (Prelaunch), S0109 : Fiber Optic Data Transmission Experiment, Tray C12

The prelaunch photograph was taken in SAEF II at KSC prior to installation of the Fiber Optic Data Transmission Experiment (FODTE) on the LDEF. The FODTE occupies a six (6) inch deep LDEF peripheral tray and consist of an aluminum internal support structure, four aluminum mounting plates, an aluminum cover plate, ten fiber optic cable samples with connectors, aluminum brackets and non-magnet fasteners required to assemble the experiment. Four optical fiber cables (two black, one blue and one bright orange), each configured in the form of a planar, helix coil, are attached to the thermally isolated mounting plates with black anodized aluminum clips cushioned with silicone-rubber spacers. The four mounting plates are coated with a Catalac off-white thermal control paint and the exposed surface of the cover plate is painted with Chemglaze II A-276 white to meet thermal control requirements. Six additional coils of optical fiber cable samples, secured with nylon cable ties, are located in the bottom of the tray, four below the mounting plates and two below the cover plate. Each sample terminates in connectors mounted in brackets located in the tray bottom or on the backside of the thermally isolated mounting plates.

NASA Identifier: L89-4395 KSC-384C-300.01