I feel like materials science could learn a lot more about radiation embrittlement and high energy micro impacts.

The space shuttle is often regarded as a huge mistake and in many ways (reusability especially, it was more like rebuildability :) ) it was, but it was still hell of a machine.

> one of the very few satellites to have returned from its mission in space intact

This makes it sounds like it was due to great luck rather than human decision. It's in fact one of the very few satellites that it was decided to have retrieved (intact) from space (at significant expense) rather than letting it deorbit and burn up on re-entry.

Other solar systems and their hypothetical risks are not the same as as cislunar space or LEO.

I assume you read the article, so I’ll suggest re-reading the second paragraph more closely.

> The Space Exposed Experiment Developed for Students (SEEDS) allowed students the opportunity to grow control and experimental tomato seeds that had been exposed on LDEF comparing and reporting the results. 12.5 million seeds were flown, and students from elementary to graduate school returned 8000 reports to NASA. The L.A. Times misreported that a DNA mutation from space exposure could yield a poisonous fruit. Whilst incorrect, the report served to raise awareness of the experiment and generate discussion.[17] Space seeds germinated sooner and grew faster than the control seeds. They were also more porous than terrestrial seeds.

Wonder why?