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Space Weathering Experiments on Spacecraft MaterialsA project to investigate space environment effects on specific materials with interest to remote sensing was initiated in 2016. The goal of the project is to better characterize changes in the optical properties of polymers found in multi-layered spacecraft insulation (MLI) induced by electron bombardment. Previous analysis shows that chemical bonds break and potentially reform when exposed to high energy electrons like those seen in orbit. These chemical changes have been shown to alter a material's optical reflectance, among other material properties. This paper presents the initial experimental results of MLI materials exposed to various fluences of high energy electrons, designed to simulate a portion of the geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) space environment. It is shown that the spectral reflectance of some of the tested materials changes as a function of electron dose. These results provide an experimental benchmark for analysis of aging effects on satellite systems which can be used to improve remote sensing and space situational awareness. They also provide preliminary analysis on those materials that are most likely to comprise the high area-to-mass ratio (HAMR) population of space debris in the geosynchronous orbit environment. Finally, the results presented in this paper serve as a proof of concept for simulated environmental aging of spacecraft polymers that should lead to more experiments using a larger subset of spacecraft materials.
Document ID
20170008878
Acquisition Source
Johnson Space Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Engelhart, D. P. (Air Force Research Lab. Albuquerque, NM, United States)
Cooper, R. (Air Force Research Lab. Kirtland AFB, NM, United States)
Cowardin, H. (Jacobs Technology, Inc. Houston, TX, United States)
Maxwell, J. (Colorado Univ. Boulder, CO, United States)
Plis, E. (Assurance Technology Corp. Carlisle, MA, United States)
Ferguson, D. (Air Force Research Lab. Kirtland AFB, NM, United States)
Barton, D. (Air Force Research Lab. Kirtland AFB, NM, United States)
Schiefer, S. (Air Force Research Lab. Kirtland AFB, NM, United States)
Hoffmann, R. (Air Force Research Lab. Kirtland AFB, NM, United States)
Date Acquired
September 19, 2017
Publication Date
September 19, 2017
Subject Category
Space Processing
Report/Patent Number
JSC-CN-40462
Meeting Information
Meeting: Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies Conference (AMOS)
Location: Maui, HI
Country: United States
Start Date: September 19, 2017
End Date: September 22, 2017
Sponsors: Maui Economic Development Board, Inc.
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: 17RVCOR414
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.

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