Flown and used Hubble Space Telescope Diode Box Assembly cover, SN 1002, flown on shuttle mission STS-109 in March of 2002, and used during servicing of the Hubble telescope. This cover, one of just three made, measures 34 x 6.5 and is made of perforated Kapton blanketing mounted to an aluminum alloy backing plate with Delrin retaining clips. This particular cover was carried aboard the Columbia and mounted in pouches on top of the Second Axial Carrier (SAC), a Space Support Equipment (SSE) carrier located in the middle of the cargo bay of the orbiter. This flown artifact is listed in Swales Aerospace Crew Aids and Tools and is accompanied by a Goddard Space Flight Center Flight Hardware Equipment parts tag, with multiple notations by technicians, as well as a JSC Project parts tag, with several notations and “Flown on HST SM 3B OV-102, STS-109 SN# 1002,” written on the reverse.
Applied on either the DBA or DBA2 on the Hubble during a spacewalk, this cover protected the Diode Box Assembly components within the specified survival limits for up to 10 hours, and are designed to withstand temperatures between +80/-80° C. In fine condition. Cover is listed in Swales Aerospace Crew Aids and Tools catalog. One of just three made, this particular piece of flown equipment played a vital role in protecting sensitive equipment during astronaut EVA operations. RR Auction recently sold one of these covers for nearly $6,000. RR Auction COA.
