SLIC: The Unsung Hero of Servicing Mission 4

  • Released Sunday, January 11, 2009
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The composite Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier (SLIC) is a new breed of equipment carrier that will allow the Space Shuttle to transport a full complement of scientific instruments and other components to Hubble. Made of carbon fiber with a cyanate ester resin and a titanium metal matrix composite, SLIC is the first all-composite carrier to fly on the shuttle. This flat, reusable pallet looks very different from the carriers flown on previous Hubble servicing missions because of its efficient design. This design, plus SLIC's composite construction, makes it much lighter and stronger than traditional aluminum carriers. About half the weight of its predecessors, SLIC shows a dramatic increase in performance over other Hubble equipment carriers, with nearly double the carrying capability.

SLIC: The Unsung Hero of Servicing Mission 4 is a web feature about NASA's first all-composite carrier to fly on the shuttle. The Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier (SLIC) will carry the new Wide Field Camera 3 and replacement batteries for the Hubble Space Telescope during Servicing Mission 4.

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For More Information

See http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/servicing/series/SLIC.html

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NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

This page was originally published on Sunday, January 11, 2009.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 1:54 PM EDT.

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