Natural and Induced Space Environments Effects on ...

Abstract

The International Space Station (ISS) is scheduled to remain in orbit for a decade. Over its lifetime, the ISS has been and will continue to be exposed to a variety of natural and induced space environments effects. For the ISS to continue fulfilling its mission as an on-orbit science platform, these effects have to be assessed, monitored, and addressed via design or operational mitigation. For the ISS Program, the Environments team works to address these space environments effects. The Environments group is divided into the following space environments disciplines: external contamination, ionizing radiation, neutral atmosphere and solar ultraviolet radiation, plasma effects, and acoustics. This paper discusses some of the activities conducted by the Environments group to support ISS operations and ensure that the vehicle performs well over time. These activities include efforts in the following areas: imaging assessment, venting and thruster operation effects, optical property degradation assessments, effects on science operations, ionospheric plasma charging effects, ionizing radiation effects, and noise control in habitable areas. The lessons learned and processes developed for ISS are applicable to the design, assembly, and operations of long-duration space systems including new space station designs and missions to the Moon and Mars.

Solar Absorptivity Degradation of Spacecraft Materials Due to UV and Charged Particles in the Gateway Environment

“…Traditionally, most of the data accumulated for material optical property degradation in space has been in the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) environment [2,3,5,8]. However, Gateway is a new space station that will be assembled and flown in Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO) for 15 years.…”

“…Degradaton of materials through the environments Gateway modules will encounter through the mission lifetime are not well characterized. Environmental factors such as charged particles and ultraviolet (UV) radiation have been shown to significantly increase solar absorptivity (α) for some thermal control materials and coatings [3,4,5,8]. Since α will impact thermal performance over the mission, the Gateway Passive Thermal Control System (PTCS) Group has identified charged particle and UV degradation of Gateway materials as a knowledge gap.…”