Evaluation method of surface damage on solar cells by small space debris impact

Abstract

Using plasma drag small particle accelerator to simulate small space debris impact solar cells on ground, we obtain the average surface damage coefficient and impact damage equation of small space debris impact on solar cells. Based on the simulation experiments we get two evaluation methods: one is based on average surface damage coefficient and the other is based on impact damage equation. From master2005 space debris model, we get the distribution of space debris. Taking these two evaluation methods we chose an orbit of 800 km to calculate the surface damage rate of solar cells by small space debris impact. The results indicate that these two methods can approve each other and we found that the debris with diameters between 5 and 500 micron is the major debris that results in the surface damage of solar cells by small space debris.