Progress of Multi-Utility Spacecraft Charging Analysis Tool (MUSCAT) and Evolution for Space Exploration

Paper number

IAC-06-D5.2.08

Author

Dr. Shinji Hatta, MUSCAT Space Engineering, Japan

Year

2006

Abstract

MUSCAT is a computation tool to analyze spacecraft-plasma interaction including charging status corresponding to spacecrafts in LEO, GEO and PEO. The project was started in November, 2004 and a beta version of MUSCAT was released in March, 2006.
The beta version has already included major part of important features to simulate space environment. The features are 1) smart GUI, 2) numerical functions to simulate physical phenomena, 3) fast computation function and 4) code validation by experiment and by computation with super computer.
As for 1), MUSCAT users can now build a satellite model including not only its geometry but also material properties of the surface with user friendly GUI. As for 2), MUSCAT includes effects of photoelectron emission, secondary electron emission, double Maxwellian distribution of background plasma, auroral current and conductive current. As for 3), MUSCAT can work on parallel workstation. And 4), the computation result by MUSCAT shows very good agreement with code validation experiment using a vacuum chamber as well as with full PIC computation by a super computer.
We have started trial computation of charging analysis on Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT) with MUSCAT. One purpose of the computation is prediction of charging status of GOSAT for real satellite design including ground test. The other is performance assessment of MUSCAT. In addition to charging issue of satellites in the earth orbit, MUSCAT is available for various problems involved in space exploration such as spacecraft ion engine plume interaction, spacecraft status under solar wind environment and so forth. Some of the computation result will be reported in the conference.

Abstract document

IAC-06-D5.2.08.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-06-D5.2.08.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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