[amsat-bb] Re: Technical question regarding the long term performance of nylon in space

[Joe Fitzgerald]

Graham Shirville wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I think this is a new one!
>
> It has been suggested that the nylon "fishing line" that is sometime used on space craft to retain a deployable item like an antenna or sensor will decay quickly in space due to radiation and out gassing destroying its structure.
>
>   

If I remember were some samples of plastic on the Long Duration Exposure 
Facility that were completely gone by the time a shuttle retrieved it.  
If memory serves elemental oxygen was involved. Check out 
http://setas-www.larc.nasa.gov/LDEF/index.html for details.

-Joe KM1P