Complete Atomic Oxygen and UV Protection for Polymer and Composite Materials in a Low Earth Orbit

Abstract

With the realization of larger and more complex space installations, an increase in the surface area exposed to atomic oxygen (AO) and ultraviolet (UV) effects is expected, making structural integrity of space structures essential for future development. In a low Earth orbit (LEO), the effects of AO and UV degradation can have devastating consequences for polymer and composite structures in satellites and space installations. Composite materials such as carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) or polymer materials such as polyetherimide and polystyrene are widely used in satellite construction for various applications including structural components, thermal insulation, and importantly radio frequency (RF) assemblies. In this paper, we present a multilayered material protection solution, a multilayered protection barrier, that mitigates the effects of AO and UV without disrupting the functional performance of tested assemblies. This multilayered protection barrier deposited via a custom-built plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system is designed so as to deposit all necessary layers without breaking vacuum to maximize the adhesion to the surface of the substrate and to ensure no pinhole erosion is present. In the multilayer solution, a moisture and outgassing barrier (MOB) is coupled with an AO and UV capping layer to provide complete protection.

RF Helicon-based Inductive Plasma Thruster (IPT) Design for an Atmosphere-Breathing Electric Propulsion system (ABEP)

“…Further investigations are required for the C D and SC aerodynamic design, as well for AO resistant and drag-reducing materials [52,53] to improve the modelling. Currently, a set of sub-scale prototypes are prepared for being tested in relevant VLEO AO flow conditions within the H2020 DISCOVERER project.…”

MoS2/WS2 Nanosheet-Based Composite Films Irradiated by Atomic Oxygen: Implications for Lubrication in Space

“…Given that this altitude is close to the Earth's atmosphere, one of the primary sources responsible for the degradation of structural integrity of satellites is from the effects of atomic oxygen (AO). 10 Although the static density of AO is not high, the beam density of AO impact can reach 10 12 −10 15 atoms•cm −2 •s −1 with an average kinetic energy of 5 eV when the speed of the spacecraft in-orbit is around 8 km• s −1 . This high energy of AO is enough to break and oxidize the chemical bonds of most of the materials including MoS 2 , thus causing mass loss, surface oxidation, and performance degradation.…”

“…For the currently rapidly developing commercial aerospace, including the Starlink project, most of these satellites are located in the low earth orbit (LEO) (200–800 km above the Earth’s surface) to ensure high image resolution and reduce communication latency. Given that this altitude is close to the Earth’s atmosphere, one of the primary sources responsible for the degradation of structural integrity of satellites is from the effects of atomic oxygen (AO) . Although the static density of AO is not high, the beam density of AO impact can reach 10 12 –10 15 atoms·cm –2 ·s –1 with an average kinetic energy of 5 eV when the speed of the spacecraft in-orbit is around 8 km·s –1 .…”

“…Although the static density of AO is not high, the beam density of AO impact can reach 10 12 –10 15 atoms·cm –2 ·s –1 with an average kinetic energy of 5 eV when the speed of the spacecraft in-orbit is around 8 km·s –1 . This high energy of AO is enough to break and oxidize the chemical bonds of most of the materials including MoS 2 , thus causing mass loss, surface oxidation, and performance degradation. − Therefore, achieving high irradiation tolerance and self-adaptive lubrication of MoS 2 -based films is more significant.…”

Preparation and Characterization of Transparent Polyimide Nanocomposite Films with Potential Applications as Spacecraft Antenna Substrates with Low Dielectric Features and Good Sustainability in Atomic-Oxygen Environments

“…In most cases, the spaceborne antennas will contact the LEO environments in the whole life of the spacecraft. The severe space environments in LEO, including atomic oxygen (AO), thermal shock cycle in the range of −120 °C~150 °C, ionizing radiation, micrometeoroids, and so on will inevitably deteriorate the antenna materials, especially the common light-weighted polymeric or polymer composite antennas [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]. When the spacecraft cruised in LEO at the speed of 7.9 km/s, the impact energy between the collision of polymer antennas and the AO species might be as high as 5 eV.…”