ldef

NASA's Long Duration Exposure Facility, or LDEF, was a school bus-sized cylindrical space experiment rack that exposed various material samples to outer space for about 5.7 years, completing 32,422 Earth orbits.

It was carried into orbit onboard STS-41C and retrieved by STS-32.

This version of the LDEF patch is more crudely executed than another version.

STS-32 was the 33rd mission of NASA's Space Shuttle program, and the 9th launch of Space Shuttle Columbia. Launched on 9 January 1990, it marked the first use of Launch Pad A at Kennedy Space Center's Complex 39 since 1986; it also marked the first use of Mobile Launcher Platform No. 3 (MLP-3) in the Space Shuttle program. STS-32 was, at the time, the longest shuttle mission yet conducted, with a duration of nearly 11 days. Before STS-32, the only mission of the same duration had been STS-9 in 1983. On 20 January 1990, STS-32 executed the third night landing of the shuttle program.

The caduceus on the left represents the medical experiments, and the crystalline structure on the right represents the materials science.

This appears to be the A-B Emblem 3" version.

STS-32 was the 33rd mission of NASA's Space Shuttle program, and the 9th launch of Space Shuttle Columbia. Launched on 9 January 1990, it marked the first use of Launch Pad A at Kennedy Space Center's Complex 39 since 1986; it also marked the first use of Mobile Launcher Platform No. 3 (MLP-3) in the Space Shuttle program. STS-32 was, at the time, the longest shuttle mission yet conducted, with a duration of nearly 11 days. Before STS-32, the only mission of the same duration had been STS-9 in 1983. On 20 January 1990, STS-32 executed the third night landing of the shuttle program.

The caduceus on the left represents the medical experiments, and the crystalline structure on the right represents the materials science.

This version has distinct star shapes, but renders the cadeceus and crystalline structure on the border.

STS-32 was the 33rd mission of NASA's Space Shuttle program, and the 9th launch of Space Shuttle Columbia. Launched on 9 January 1990, it marked the first use of Launch Pad A at Kennedy Space Center's Complex 39 since 1986; it also marked the first use of Mobile Launcher Platform No. 3 (MLP-3) in the Space Shuttle program. STS-32 was, at the time, the longest shuttle mission yet conducted, with a duration of nearly 11 days. Before STS-32, the only mission of the same duration had been STS-9 in 1983. On 20 January 1990, STS-32 executed the third night landing of the shuttle program.

The caduceus on the left represents the medical experiments, and the crystalline structure on the right represents the materials science.

Despite being a 3" patch, this patch faithfully renders the caduceus and crystalline structure while the full-size A-B Emblem version does not.

NASA's Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) was designed to provide long-term data on the space environment and its effects on space systems and operations. It successfully carried science and technology experiments that have revealed a broad and detailed collection of space environmental data. Launched aboard STS-41C, retrieved with STS-32.
This patch has more detail than another version, such as stars and more detail on the LDEF panels.

The space environment can be hostile to seed; therefore,
data are needed on the effects of space on seed and on how seed should be package to survive in
space. As a first step toward meeting this need, the George W. Park Seed Company, Inc., flew a
Getaway Special seed experiment on STS-6 and found that seed can in fact survive a few days in
low-altitude Earth orbits. The Seeds in Space Experiment on LDEF was designed to investigate the
effects on seed of long duration exposure in space.

Launched aboard STS-41C, retrieved with STS-32