Abstract
The role of N2 in the upper atmosphere on the atomic oxygen (AO)-induced erosion of polyimide in low Earth orbit (LEO) and sub-LEO is investigated through ground-based experiments and flight data. The experiment is performed by adding an Ar beam at the same collision energy as an undecomposed O2 component in the AO beam formed by laser detonation to simulate the physical effect of simultaneous N2 collision in sub-LEO. The Ar beam is added by the dual-pulsed supersonic valve-equipped laser-detonation system developed at Kobe University. The experimental results indicate that the erosion of polyimide in the laser-detonation system is promoted by the presence of O2 and Ar in the beam, corresponding to N2 in the sub-LEO. On-ground experimental results are compared with in-orbit AO measurements. Previous space shuttle, international space station-based exposure experiments, as well as the world’s first real-time sub-LEO material erosion data aboard a super low altitude test satellite (SLATS) orbiting at an altitude of 216.8 km are presented. The SLATS data suggests the presence of an acceleration effect by N2 collision on AO-induced polyimide erosion, as predicted by ground-based experiments.
Highlights
It has been widely recognized that many polymeric materials used in spacecraft and systems are eroded by hyperthermal (4.5 eV) collisions of atomic oxygen (AO) in low Earth orbit (LEO)
Real-time erosion measurement of polyimide in a sub-LEO environment was first performed by the atomic oxygen fluence sensor (AOFS) mission aboard super low altitude test satellite (SLATS) launched on December 23, 2017
We analyzed the effect of hyperthermal collisions of N 2 on AO-induced polyimide erosion in a sub-LEO space environment
Summary
It has been widely recognized that many polymeric materials used in spacecraft and systems are eroded by hyperthermal (4.5 eV) collisions of atomic oxygen (AO) in low Earth orbit (LEO). Many ground-based studies used laser-detonation AO beam sources to simulate energetic AO collisions in LEO. It has been reported that erosion yields of materials relative to polyimide (Kapton-H) measured in a ground-based facility are. The effect of ultraviolet (UV) emission from laser-induced oxygen plasma has been considered as the origin of the accelerated erosion of fluoropolymers in ground-based facilities [2]. The accelerated erosion of polyimide by collision-induced desorption (CID) process has been reported by Minton et al [6, 7] They observed a 30% increase in CO/CO2 signals from an Ar bombarded surface. Preliminary data of the world’s first realtime polyimide erosion measurement in a sub-LEO environment aboard a super-low altitude test satellite (SLATS) are reported as well
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