NASA Restore L

We've come a long, long way with modern technology.

Back in the Cold War heydays we had to design satellites with the thought that they were impossible to repair, because back then they were.

Yeah the launch vehicles were different too....

Oh come on - they were more like this.

Roswell never looked so good.

... and how well designed and built they were! Imagine building a machine that works essentially flawlessly for 20 years (Cassini) or longer (Voyagers), and can communicate over such immense distances. Of course those aren't satellites in the usual sense, but the quality is very obvious!

The same philosophy went with everything launched then.

It was made very clear to everyone. No second chances, do it right the first time.

Right! I've often wondered what kinds of lubricants they use, that will hold up in vacuum and cryogenic temperatures for decades... Obviously all bearings and sliding surfaces must be top quality, in addition to being lubricated correctly.

Krytox flurorether compounds and Dow Corning silicones were popular lubricants.

One of my tasks was determining the suitability of greases and polymers in space craft applications because many (most) would outgass (sublime) and redeposit coatings on cooler optical and thermal control surfaces, fogging lenses and reducing radiation cooling of electronics.

I sent material samples (mostly new adhesives, coatings, potting/encapsulating compounds) to Goddard Space Flight Center and they would test them for outgassing for me. Some were OK, some not. Every nonmetallic material that went up had to be tested and approved first.

AT least someone around here knows his out-gassing!

I can see that you were spot on in comments about messing up everything in space if not particularly careful to plan way ahead.

Imagine putting a polymer in space that could not stand up to a hard vacuum, or a cold/hot or cycling environment.

yet hes so terrible with planning ahead or at all on so many of his comments.

I was always dismayed when Marty told Doc, " All the best stuff is made in Japan " ,

Or when people go around saying, " Everything is made in China " .