Abstract
MUSES-C is an interplanetary spacecraft which will be launched in 2002 with the mission for the sample return from an asteroid. MUSES-C has high voltage solar arrays operating at 120 V and Xe ion thruster system as the main propulsion system. Plasma interaction between the backflow plasma from the ion thruster plume and the solar array is investigated by computer simulation and laboratory experiments. The plasma density near the solar arrays is expected to be 1011 m-3∼1013 m-3. Due to the operation of ion thruster neutralizer, the solar array has a positive potential with respect to the plasma. The increase of electron current to the solar array, however, may drop the array potential. Once the array potential becomes negative, arcing is observed to occur even at the voltage of −120 V. Several methods to suppress the plasma interaction are proposed.
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