**MIR Solar Array Photodocumentation**

**MIR SOLAR ARRAY RETURN EXPERIMENT**

**U.S. AND RUSSIAN TEAM PARTICIPANTS**

**[Investigator Affiliation Specialty / Field]{.underline}**

James Visentine Boeing U.S. Project Manager

David Brinker LeRC Power Degradation Studies

William H. Kinard LaRC MM/OD Impact Studies

Thomas H. See Lockheed-Martin MM/OD Impact Studies

James Zwiener MSFC Molecular Contamination Analysis

Gale A. Harvey LaRC Molecular Contamination Analysis

Keith Albyn JSC Optical Property Measurements

Bruce Banks LeRC Atomic Oxygen Studies

Alexander Markov RSC-E RSC-E Project Manager

Dmitriy Surin RSC-E Power Degradation Studies

Viktor Konoshenko RSC-E MM/OD Impact Studies

Stanislav Naumov RSC-E Molecular Contamination Analysis

**BACKGROUND**

During November 1997, a solar array panel was removed from the
non-articulating PV (Photovoltaic) array on the Mir core module by
Russian cosmonauts. This panel, which was exposed to the orbital space
environment for a period of ten years, consists of eight foldable
sections and was \~6.0 meters in length and \~1.3 meters in width. The
length and width dimensions of each foldable section within the panel
were 760 mm and 1300 mm, respectively. After removal from the PV Array,
the solar array panel was placed in a protective bag, sealed, and stowed
within the Mir core module.

During the STS-89 mission, which rendezvoused with Mir in January 1998,
the solar array panel was removed from the Mir core module and stowed
aboard the U.S. Spacehab module for return to Earth and laboratory
studies of the effects of the prolonged space exposure. After the
Orbiter was returned to its processing facility at the Kennedy Space
Center (KSC), the Spacehab module was removed and taken to the Spacehab
Laboratory at the Kennedy Space Complex for post-flight processing. The
solar array panel was subsequently removed from the Spacehab module and
placed in an adjacent clean room for visual and microscopic examination.
During these examinations, the intact panel underwent scientific
inspections and preliminary tests by a joint team of U.S. and Russian
investigators. One section of the panel (*i.e.*, panel 8) was removed by
the Russians and given to U.S. scientist for further inspection, study,
and laboratory analysis. The remaining seven sections of the panel were
returned to RSC Energia for inspection, study, and further analysis by
Russian investigators.

James Visentine

Boeing Project Manager

Mir Solar Array Return Experiment

Phone: (281) 336-4566

EMail: James.Visentine@SW.Boeing.com

**CONTENTS OF CD**

The photographs contained on this compact disk were obtained during the
initial photodocumentation of the solar array panels following their
arrival at the Spacehab facility. Additional information regarding
studies of these returned panels can be obtained from the Space
Environments and Technology Archive System (SETAS) Web Site at
http://setas-www.larc.nasa.gov/setas/.

The data/images on this disc were collected from various sources that
include hand-held cameras (35 mm & Haselblad), digital camera (Kodak
DC120), and a Sony 3-Chip CCD camera that was mounted on a moveable
microscope system.

During the scientific examination of the Returned Russian Solar Array,
photographers from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida acquired
approximately 300 Haselblad images of the solar array and the activities
associated with its examination and documentation. The Meteoroid &
Debris (M&D) Team acquired approximately 200, high-resolution digital
images of various - predominantly impact - features, from seven of the
eight individual solar panels that comprised the solar array. Panel 8
was removed prior to the M&D Team having the opportunity to count and
photograph impact or other features. The reminder of the images were
acquired via hand-held 35 mm or digital cameras. Prints from the various
hand-held 35-mm cameras were scanned via an Hewlett Packard 4C scanner
at a minimum 100 dpi to generate the digital format that occurs on this
CD.

The negatives of the images taken by KSC photographers were sent to the
Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas (JSC) where they were assigned a
JSC photographic archive number (98E03008 - 98E03311) and
scanned/digitized. Future requests for any image contained on this disk
with a filename of the type 98e03156 should reference that number
directly. However, not all of these images appear on this disk, as many
were either duplicate images of another frame, or were too bright or too
dark. A list of the original KSC numbers and the associated JSC archive
number can be found in the file pic_num.txt or pic_num.doc.
Proof/Contact sheets of the original KSC images can be found in the
Photos\\KSC_mast directory of this CD.

The M&D Team assigned filenames (*e.g.*, 2_13_16.jpg) to images based on
a numbering scheme that was design to relate the image filename to the
location of the object being photographed on the solar array. For
example, 2_13_16.jpg would relate to a feature located on Panel 2,
Column 13 (from left to right), and Row 16 (from bottom to top), looking
at the solar-cell side (*i.e.*, front) of the array. Please see image
Photos\\Panels\\cell_id.jpg for details.

Several images on this CD can be utilized to guide the user in the use
of this numbering scheme.

> 1\) Photos\\Panels\\panel_id.jpg - Shows the panel numbering scheme
> utilized by the M&D Team.
>
> 2\) Photos\\Panels\\p_id2_sm.jpg - Same as (1), but at smaller image
> size.
>
> 3\) Photos\\Panels\\cell_id.jpg - Show the coordinate system utilized
> by the M&D Team.
>
> 4\) Photos\\Panels\\cellsize.jpg - Shows the dimensions of an
> individual solar cell.
>
> 5\) Photos\\Panels\\H-scale.jpg - Shows the height of an individual
> solar panel. The scale is in feet, with the smaller division equaling
> 1/10 foot (0.1 feet).
>
> 6\) Photos\\Panels\\W-scale - Shows the width of an individual solar
> panel. The scale is in feet, with the smaller division equaling 1/10
> foot (0.1 feet).

The same images can be found in the various folders under the Scales
folder. In addition, the Scales\\impacts folder contains images of the
various scales associated with the high-resolution images acquired by
the M&D Team.

For further information, contact:

Thomas H. See

Lockheed-Martin

C23, 2400 NASA Road 1

Houston, Texas 77058-3711

Phone: (281) 483-5027

Email: thsee@ems.jsc.nasa.gov

**IMAGE VIEWERS**

Included on this CD are two image-viewer programs for PCs. These
programs are provided in case a user does not have a program capable of
viewing files in JPG format. Most Web Browser will view JPG files, and
all users are encouraged to utilize such programs to view the contents
of this CD, if they do not possess other programs for this function. In
the likelihood that such a program is not available, the Viewers folder
contains two programs that a user may use to view all images on this CD.

**Viewers\\Thumbs**

ThumbsPlus 3.20-S is shareware software that allows the user to build
thumbnails of the entire contents of this CD. After the thumbnails are
created, the user can simply browse through the directory/folder
listings and double-click on a thumbnail to open and view the full-size
image. The folder Viewers\\Thumbs\\Win31 contains support files for
persons needing to install and run a Windows 31 version of the program.
Additional information and support files can be found at
http://www.cerious.com.

**Lview Pro**

LView Pro 2.0 (Win95 & WinNT 4.0) and LView Pro 1.D2 (Win31 or 3.11) are
not freeware software. The Evaluation Version of Lview Pro 2.0 allows
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limited time. Users who decide to keep either software package passed
the stated evaluation period are required to pay the applicable
registration fees. Additional information and support files can be found
at http://www.lview.com.

LView Pro 2.0 requires a 386 or better IBM PC compatible, Microsoft
Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0.

LView Pro 1.D2 requires a 386 or better IBM PC compatible, Windows 3.1
with Win32s extensions version 1.30 or newer.

Windows, Win95, WinNT, ThumbsPlus, and Lview Pro products and brand
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