Optical degradation and recovery of multilayer insulation in a simulated GEO environment
- Paper number
IAC-18,A6,IP,40,x46936
- Author
Dr. Daniel Engelhart, United States, Assurance Technology Corporation
- Coauthor
Mr. Jordan Maxwell, United States, Colorado Center for Astrodynamics Research, University of Colorado
- Coauthor
Mr. Miles Bengtson, United States, Colorado Center for Astrodynamics Research, University of Colorado
- Coauthor
Dr. Elena Plis, United States
- Coauthor
Dr. Russell Cooper, United States, Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)
- Coauthor
Dr. Heather Cowardin, United States, Jacobs Engineering
- Coauthor
Dr. Dale Ferguson, United States, Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)
- Coauthor
Dr. Stephanie Schieffer, United States, Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)
- Coauthor
Mr. Ryan Hoffmann, United States
- Year
2018
- Abstract
Ground- and space-based optical observations of space objects rely on knowledge about how spacecraft materials interact with light and how that interaction changes as a function of space weather exposure. In polymers, the changes in optical signature occur due to surface degradation, leading to altered reflectivity, and due to radiation induced chemical modification, leading to an alteration of a material’s absorption/transmission properties. Electrons can be expected to primarily alter the bulk of the material with minimal effect on surface morphology due to the nature of energy deposition. The optical fingerprint of commonly used spacecraft surface materials changes continuously under exposure to high energy electrons, the primary damaging species in geostationary Earth orbit (GEO). Laboratory observations have also shown that these changes in a material’s optical signature are to some degree transient. This work investigates the rate and degree of “optical healing” in vacuum for electron damaged polyimide (Kapton-H®), a major component in many variations of multilayer insulation (MLI). Characterization of optical damage as a function of electron exposure and optical healing as a function of time in vacuum represents a major step toward a predictive model for optical characterization of space objects. The results of this investigation will find use in the space environmental remediation community for characterization of high area to mass ratio (HAMR) objects as MLI fragments comprise a large portion of HAMR space debris.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-18,A6,IP,40,x46936.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
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