The space environment: implications for spacecraft design

Abstract

Through offering insight into the nature of the space environment and how spacecraft interact with it, this book presents a singular account of the environmental effects that can damage or cause poor performance of orbiting spacecraft. The discussion covers design modifications aimed at eliminating effects as solar absorptance increases caused by self-contamination, materials erosion by atomic oxygen, electrical discharges due to spacecraft charging, degradation of electrical circuits by radiation, and bombardment by micrometeorites. The book thus bridges the gap between studies of the space environment, as performed by space physicists, and spacecraft design engineering, as practised by aerospace engineers.