re: Expensive orbiting tool bag visible with binoculars
Everything that goes up in the shuttle or just a part for a satellite has to be space qualified. To qualify even a screw takes a lot of paperwork and testing, which is very expensive. I remember when I worked for Hughes we often decided not to use a new part because it needed to be space qualified and was thus to expensive for our budget. That’s why so many things still used are 1970s and 80s technology. Unless something is going to be used by many customers a supplier won’t bother space qualifying it.