Measurements of microparticle fluxes on orbital space stations from 1978 until 2011

Abstract

This paper presents the results of solid microparticle fluxes in-flight measurements on the Salyut-6, Salyut-7, Mir space stations and the International Space Station over a 33-year period (1978–2011). Fluxes of microparticles within size range of 10–500μm were evaluated by analyzing the number and sizes of holes in thermal control coatings of plastic track detector for heavy nuclei of cosmic rays (the PLATAN experiment) and by studying craters in polished samples of some ductile and brittle materials and on the surface of a specimen cartridge (the KOMPLAST experiment). Some measurements of PLATAN (2002–2004) and KOMPLAST (1998–2011) experiments on International Space Station were carried out simultaneously. In this paper the experimental data obtained in both experiments are compared with each other as well as with results of other experiments and with ORDEM model predictions.