Atomic Oxygen Erosion Research Articles

Property of Protection against Simultaneous Action between Atomic Oxygen Erosion and Ultraviolet Irradiation by MIL-53(Al) Coating

Property of Protection against Simultaneous Action between Atomic Oxygen Erosion and Ultraviolet Irradiation by MIL-53(Al) Coating

Multidisciplinary space shield origami composite: Incorporating cosmic radiation shielding, space debris impact protection, solar radiative heat shielding, and atomic oxygen erosion resistance

Origami composites have been extensively utilized in space structures with constrained payload volumes due to their capability to efficiently transform compact structures into larger surface area or volume configurations. The proposed origami composite incorporates hydrogen-rich benzoxazine polymers known for their high radiation shielding capability and ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene fibers known for their high ballistic performance, radiation shielding capability, and flexibility. The proposed origami composite and manufacturing method can enhance bonding strength by achieving precise origami shapes and utilizing the same matrix for both flexible and rigid components. Membrane sheets are manufactured at a low curing temperature to provide flexibility, while rigid facets are separately manufactured at a high curing temperature to increase rigidity. The integration of a polyimide protection layer significantly enhances space environment resistance and reduces mass loss due to atomic oxygen erosion. Despite a slight decrease in ballistic performance after exposure to space conditions, the proposed origami composite maintains superior ballistic performance compared to conventional space materials and conventional origami composites. Compared to existing origami composites or conventional space materials, the proposed origami composite exhibited superior radiation shielding performance. The laminated structure of the proposed origami composite can offer some solar radiation shielding capability. The proposed origami composite offers a multifunctional origami solution as a membrane-space shield material, fulfilling requirements for high ballistic performance, cosmic radiation shielding, solar radiative heat shielding, and space environmental resistance.

Mechanisms of Atomic Oxygen Erosion in Fluorinated Polyimides Investigated by Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

Traditional polyimides have highly conjugated structures, causing significant coloration under visible light. Fluorinated colorless polyimides, known for their light weight and excellent optical properties, are considered ideal for future aerospace optical lenses. However, their lifespan in low Earth orbit is severely limited by high-density atomic oxygen (AO) erosion, and the degradation behavior of fluorinated polyimides under AO exposure is not well understood. This study uses reactive molecular dynamics simulations to model two fluorinated polyimides, PMDA-TFMB and 6FDA-TFMB, with different fluorine contents, to explore their degradation mechanisms under varying AO concentrations. The results indicate that 6FDA-TFMB has slightly better resistance to erosion than PMDA-TFMB, mainly due to the enhanced chemical stability from its -CF3 groups. As AO concentration increases, widespread degradation of the polyimides occurs, with AO-induced cleavage and temperature-driven pyrolysis happening simultaneously, producing CO and OH as the main degradation products. This study uncovers the molecular-level degradation mechanisms of fluorinated polyimides, offering new insights for the design of AO erosion protection systems.

Large-Area Flexible Plasma-Polymerized HDMSO Thin-Film Coating for Low-Earth-Orbit Spacecraft Polymers: Excellent Resistance to Atomic Oxygen and UV Erosion

Large-Area Flexible Plasma-Polymerized HDMSO Thin-Film Coating for Low-Earth-Orbit Spacecraft Polymers: Excellent Resistance to Atomic Oxygen and UV Erosion

Structural design of two types of composites with high resistance to atomic oxygen attack based on polyimide matrices: a molecular dynamics simulation study

Because of their exceptional properties, polyimide (PI) polymers are widely used in various types of spacecraft. However, in low Earth orbit, spacecraft using these polymers are susceptible to atomic oxygen (AO) erosion, which will cause them to lose their original performance. Covering the PI surface with a protective coating and adding fillers to the PI matrix are two traditional methods to improve the AO erosion resistance of PI. However, a single protective method does not provide a good protective effect and does not necessarily balance the relationship between the AO resistance of the composites and other properties, such as mechanical properties. The structural design of composites can perfectly solve such problems. Therefore, two kinds of AO-resistant materials based on the PI matrix are designed in this paper, one is a hybrid-filled composite with nano-silica filler and graphene filler, and the other is a double-layer coated composite based on the structural design of a traditional bulletproof vest. And the AO incidence simulation of these two types of materials was carried out using ReaxFF-based MD simulation. The results show that the mixed filling of graphene and nano-silica not only greatly improves the AO resistance of the PI matrix, but also greatly improves the tensile mechanical properties of the matrix by adjusting the appropriate mixing ratio. The structure of PI-Gr-SiO2 (The structures are PI, Gr and SiO2 from bottom up, respectively. SiO2 will be the first to take the impact of AO.) possesses excellent resistance to AO erosion, and at the end of 64 ps of AO erosion, the PI matrix did not suffer any damage. This paper provides a new idea of material structure design using the MD method, which provides a new approach to improve the AO erosion resistance of PI and is expected to design new composites adapted to a variety of extreme environments in the future.

Atomic oxygen erosion mechanism of polyimide via reactive molecular dynamics simulation and density functional theory calculation

Atomic oxygen (AO) causes serious oxidative degradation on polymeric materials in the space environment, yet understanding its reaction mechanism is a challenging task. Herein, we primarily investigate the reaction sites and reaction paths of pure polyimide material to AO erosion and propose a modification strategy involving electron-withdrawing groups to enhance the material's resistance to AO with density functional theory (DFT) and reactive force field molecular dynamics (ReaxFF MD). DFT calculations reveal that AO erosion is an electrophilic reaction, which preferentially interacts on the benzene ring with pronounced electron density distribution on the third part of the polyimide molecule. ReaxFF MD simulations validate this finding and provide additional reaction pathways that are divided into the early-stage reactions and later secondary reactions. In the early stage, only small number of AOs take part in the reactions that include the formation of CO bonds and ring opening processes. These reactions are relatively slow and majorly determine the AO resistance of the material. In the subsequent stage, AO predominantly reacts with reactive species and radicals generated from earlier reactions, leading to fast degradation. With these findings, we propose a strategy to enhance the AO resistance by introducing electron-withdrawing functional groups in the polyimides. As exemplified, the polyimide with -CF3 group shows 21.1% lower erosion yield than unmodified polymer. The present study gives a deep insight for the mechanism of AO erosion on polyimide by exploring its reaction sites and provides valuable theoretical guidance for improving the material's resistance to erosion.

Mechanism Analysis and Potential Applications of Atomic Oxygen Erosion Protection for Kapton-Type Polyimide Based on Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

Polyimide (PI) is widely used in aerospace applications due to its excellent properties. However, the high concentration of atomic oxygen (AO) in low-earth orbit (LEO) significantly degrades its performance. This study employs reactive molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to analyze the AO erosion resistance of fluorinated polyimide (FPI) and polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) composite polyimide models. The 35 ps simulation results indicate that the PI/POSS composite exhibits the best protective performance. The protection mechanism involves the formation of an SiO2 carbonized layer that prevents the transmission of AO and heat to the polyimide matrix, resulting in a normalized mass of 84.1% after erosion. The FPI model shows the second-best protective effect, where the introduction of -CF3 groups enhances the thermal stability of the polyimide matrix, resulting in a normalized mass of 80.7% after erosion. This study explores the protective effects and mechanisms of different polyimide protection methods at the molecular level, providing new insights for the design of AO erosion protection systems.

Strong and flexible MXene-based nanocomposite films for atomic oxygen resistance and electromagnetic interference shielding

MXene has garnered considerable attention as a promising candidate for multifunctional artificial materials, owing to its exceptional mechanical performance and superior electric conductivity. However, macroscopically layered films assembled by MXene nanosheets are usually accompanied by serious degradation of mechanical properties. Moreover, there is a notable paucity of investigations on MXene in low Earth orbit (LEO) environment. Inspired by the layered structure of nacre, we applied polyurethane (PU) as an interfacial crosslinking agent to improve the mechanical properties of MXene films. The optimized MXene/PU (MP) nanocomposite film exhibited a tensile strength of 298.02 MPa and a toughness of 13.81 MJ m−3, surpassing those of the pure MXene film by 260 % and 1300 %, respectively. The atomic oxygen (AO) erosion yield of MP was approximately one order of magnitude lower than that of commercial Kapton films, which was attributed to the shielding effect of MXene against AO attacks. Remarkably, the MP nanocomposite film demonstrated exceptional retention of tensile strength under various extreme conditions including AO irradiation, cryogenic-high temperature, cyclic thermal shock and hot water. Contributed by multi-layer structural design and high conductivity, the MP exhibited a high electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) of 48 dB and a specific SE divided by thickness (SSE/t) of 13,479 dB cm2 g−1 at the thickness of 20 μm. Consequently, the nacre-like MP nanocomposite film with exceptional mechanical properties and high-level functional performance holds substantial promise as a multifunctional space material for LEO environments.

Space Durable 3D Printed High‐Performance Polymers Based on Cyanate Ester/Extended‐Bismaleimide

AbstractTo accomplish the potential of the New‐Space emerging era and facilitate scientific and commercial space exploration, the development of versatile, customized, and affordable space technologies is essential. 3D printing is established as a disruptive technology, enabling the production of complex and lightweight structures with enhanced performance. However, the harsh conditions of the space environment, including atomic oxygen (AO), extreme temperatures, and ionizing radiation, pose significant challenges to the durability and longevity of additive manufacturing‐produced polymers. Until now, there are no additive‐manufacturing polymeric materials that are specifically developed and qualified to withstand space hazards. To address these challenges, novel materials for additive manufacturing, composed of cyanate ester and extended‐bismaleimide are engineered to withstand the extreme conditions in space. The developed materials demonstrate superior thermo‐mechanical properties (flexural stress of 72 MPa and Tg = 260 °C), enhanced durability to AO erosion, ionizing radiation (10 years in orbit), and thermal stability (Td5% = 360 °C). Moreover, it is found that printing orientation governs the AO erosion, thus guiding optimal printing designs for enhanced durability to AO. The materials show improved performance, endurance, and reliability, thus contributing to the development of space‐qualified components and enabling the advancement of additive manufacturing for future space missions.

Preparation and Properties of Atomic-Oxygen Resistant Polyimide Films Based on Multi-Ring Fluoro-Containing Dianhydride and Phosphorus-Containing Diamine.

Colorless and transparent polyimide (CPI) films with good atomic oxygen (AO) resistance and high thermal endurance are highly required in low earth orbit (LEO) space exploration. Conventional CPI films based on fluoro-containing 4,4'-(hexafluoroisopropylidene)diphthalic anhydride (6FDA) have been widely used in space applications. However, the AO erosion yields and glass transition temperatures (Tg) of the 6FDA-based CPI films have to be modified in order to meet the severe serving environments. In the current work, novel CPI films based on a multi-ring fluoro-containing 9,9-bis(trifluoromethyl)xanthene-2,3,6,7-tetracarboxylicdianhydride (6FCDA) monomer were developed. In order to enhance the AO resistance of the derived CPI film, a phosphorus-containing aromatic diamine, 2,5-bis[(4-aminophenoxy)phenyl]diphenylphosphine oxide (BADPO) was used to polymerize with the dianhydride to create the organo-soluble resin. Then, two phosphorus-containing CPI films (PPI), including PPI-1 (6FDA-BADPO) and PPI-2 (6FCDA-BADPO) were prepared by thermally curing of the PPI solutions at elevated temperatures. The PPI films maintained good optical transparency with transmittance values over 80% at a wavelength of 450 nm. PPI-2 exhibited a Tg value of 311.0 °C by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurement, which was 46.7 °C higher than that of the PPI-1 counterpart (Tg = 264.3 °C). In addition, the PPI-2 film showed a coefficient of linear thermal expansion (CTE) value of 41.7 × 10-6/K in the range of 50~250 °C, which was apparently lower than that of the PPI-1 sample (CTE = 49.2 × 10-6/K). Lastly, both of the two PPI films exhibited good AO resistance with the erosion yields (Ey) of 6.99 × 10-25 cm3/atom for PPI-1 and 7.23 × 10-25 cm3/atom for PPI-2 at an exposure flux of 5.0 × 1020 atoms/cm2. The Ey values of the current PPI films were obviously lower than that of the standard polyimide (PI) film based on pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) and 4,4'-oxydianiline (ODA) (Ey = 3.0 × 10-24 cm3/atom).

Effect of nanoparticles and siloxane groups on the atomic oxygen erosion resistance of copolyimides

The properties, resistance to atomic oxygen (AO) in particular, of copolyimides based on 4,4′-(9-fluorenylidene)dianiline, 3,3′,4,4′-diphenyloxide tetracarboxylic acid and hexamethylenediamine (PI-1), 4,4′-(9-fluorenylidene)dianiline, 3,3′,4,4′-tetracarboxylic acid diphenyloxide and 1,3-Bis-(3-aminopropyl)-1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisiloxane (PI-2) were studied. Tris-(methyldiethoxysiloxy)gallium and tetrakis-(methyldiethoxysiloxy)hafnium were used as precursors for in situ filling of the polymers. The filling of copolyimides leads to an order of magnitude decrease in the specific mass loss of nanocomposites under the AO action. The filled PI-2 shows the better resistance to AO compared to the PI-1 nanocomposite. Based on the analysis of the erosion rates of polymer films, it was shown for the first time that at low fluences the resistance of filled PI-2 to atomic oxygen erosion is determined by the filler, whereas at high fluences the protective function is based on both components of the nanocomposite (filler and matrix). In the case of nanocomposites based on siloxane-free PI-1, their resistance to atomic oxygen erosion is caused by the nanoparticles, regardless of the fluence value.

Reactive Molecular Dynamics Study of the Mechanism and Effect of Various Protective Coatings on the Protection of Polyimide Antierosion from Atomic Oxygen.

Polyimide (PI), due to its exceptional performance, is commonly utilized in spacecraft. However, when such polymers are used in spacecraft navigating low Earth orbit, they are exposed to atomic oxygen (AO) that can cause the polymer to decompose. A protective coating method is a more effective way to safeguard the polymer from erosion caused by AO. This study employs the molecular dynamics simulation based on the reaction force field to investigate the protective effects of various coatings, including polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), graphene (Gr), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and the (0 0 1), (0 1 1), and (1 1 1) surfaces of SiO2. The results indicate that the protective performance of the (0 1 1) surface is superior to that of the (0 0 1) and (1 1 1) surfaces. Moreover, protective coatings are classified into three categories based on different protective mechanisms: rebound, absorption, and sacrificial. The protective effectiveness of coatings depends on their anti-AO performance and ability to combine with the substrate. Gr displays exceptional anti-AO properties and can effectively shield the substrate from AO erosion. Silicone-based coatings have a superior ability to adhere to PI substrates, and PDMS is an excellent choice for protective coatings. This paper offers guidance for the protective coating method of PIs against AO erosion.

Growth and atomic oxygen erosion resistance of Al2O3-doped TiO2 thin film formed on polyimide by atomic layer deposition.

Polyimide (PI) coated with atomic layer deposition (ALD) thin films shows promising potential for applications in extreme environments. To achieve a high quality ultrathin ALD coating on the PI surface, Al-doped ALD-TiO2 (ATO) films were deposited on the alkaline hydrothermally activated PI surfaces. The nucleation and growth of ATO films were studied by XPS monitoring and SEM observation. The incorporation of aluminum introduced additional active sites that acted as a seed layer, promoting the adsorption and growth of titanium oxide. This effectively compensated for the defects in the TiO2 film, resulting in the formation of a continuously growing conformal film on the PI surface. After 200 ALD cycles, the ATO film deposited on PI exhibits excellent water vapor barrier properties and significant resistance to atomic oxygen (AO) erosion. When exposed to an AO flux of 1.4 × 1022 atom per cm2, the erosion yield of the PI coated with 200 ALD cycles of ATO film was as low as 2.4 × 10-26 cm3 per atom, which is two orders less than that of the standard polyimide-ref Kapton® film.

Graphene-modified hybrid coating for improving the atomic oxygen erosion resistance of Kapton

Graphene-modified hybrid coating for improving the atomic oxygen erosion resistance of Kapton

Study of the deorbit sail damage under the combined effects of atomic oxygen erosion and material defects

In order to help control the spread of space debris and junk, deorbit sail devices have been used for deorbiting techniques; however, this approach is still considered risky due to potential failure or malfunction as it need to be exposed to the harsh space environment for a prolonged period of time, particularly in low-Earth orbit. China has made new strides forward in managing space junk, as it has successfully unfolded a 25-square-meter deorbit sail developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spacecraft Technology in-orbit for the payload capsule of a recently launched rocket. Accordingly in this paper, a full life-cycle modelling based on Monte Carlo method is developed to reveal the damage behavior of the 25-square-meter deorbit sail surface under the combined effects of atomic oxygen erosion and deorbit sail defects. The simulation results show that as the atomic oxygen fluence increases and the material defect width widens, the interaction effect of the two factors becomes more and more pronounced, which decisively influences the erosion rate of the sail surface. Morphological characterization of aluminized film PET material, activated silanisation modified material and plasma-polymerization coating material before and after atomic oxygen erosion combined defects is carried out and the atomic oxygen erosion of the deorbit sail surfaces is quantitatively assessed. The assessment results show that compared to the PET material and activation silanisation surface modification material, the plasma polymeric coated material showed much better flexibility, folding resistance and irradiation resistance to prevent geological fold and to shield from the atomic oxygen erosion in space. The atomic oxygen erosion combined defects assessment method studied in this paper provides valuable reference data for the subsequent serialisation of deorbit sail products and other typical lightweight film materials for space applications.

Study on the Effects and Mechanism of Temperature and AO Flux Density in the AO Interaction with Upilex-S Using the ReaxFF Method

Atomic oxygen (AO), which is one of the most predominant and conspicuous space environmental factors in the low earth orbit, leads to severe deterioration of polymeric materials in spacecraft. The AO flux density and ambient temperature vary while a craft orbits in space; thus, it is necessary to pay close attention to the flux density and temperature effects on the mechanism of the AO interaction with materials. In past years, polyimide has been widely used on spacecraft due to its excellent performance—that is the reason why we chose Upilex-S as the object for study. It was analyzed using the ReaxFF reactive force field molecular dynamics simulation, respectively from the aspect of impact-induced temperature variation, mass loss, reaction product and erosion yield. The results show that dense AO deposition on the surface impedes further erosion at low temperatures, and the AO interaction with Upilex-S is exacerbated as the ambient temperature increases. However, the accelerating rate is inversely proportional to the ambient temperature, which means the higher the ambient temperature is, the slower it increases. On the other hand, the interaction rate of AO induced to Upilex-S is aggravated as the flux density increases at the lower stage, while the interaction rate begins to drop as the flux density increases at the higher level. The AO erosion effect is a complicated process rather than a simple summation of single atomic oxygen interactions. Our study could be used as a technical reference for the wide usage of Upilex-S on spacecraft.

Carbon Nanotube Based Broadband Solar Thermal Absorber Coatings

Radiant energy conversion and storage eliminate the mass transfer process induced power output limitation, and open a new vista for energy utilization. An effective system for harvesting radiant energy from both solar and thermal radiation will be beneficial for further radiant energy utilization. On the other hand, space observatory missions require low-reflectivity surfaces/coatings for space-borne instruments, such as seeker telescopes, optical sensors, etc., to minimize stray and reflected light on targeted telescope and baffle materials and construction. The excellent optical, thermal, and mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) make them as ideal coating materials for absorbing the broadband spectrum across UV-Vis-IR regions.In this presentation, Faraday Technology will discuss an innovative electrophoretic deposition (EPD) manufacturing process, based on the use of pulsed electric fields, for controlled, reproducible, scalable deposition of a wide variety of carbon nanotube based coatings across a broad range of substrates, geometries and sizes (Figure 1 a). The effects of waveforms, electrolytes, substrates, etc. on the formation of robust and uniform coating will be discussed in this talk. The optical properties, and environmental survivability of carbon nanotube coatings will be demonstrated via a variety of testing or characterizations. The CNT coatings show the total hemispherical reflection of 0.5% - 1% across UV-Vis to near infrared (NIR) wavebands, which is much lower than the reflectance of the typically used Z306 black paint (Figure 1 b). These CNT coatings also withstood simulated launch conditions vibrational tests, and demonstrated no weight loss and optical degradation. Furthermore, the CNT coatings were evaluated for atomic oxygen erosion resistance in a simulated low earth orbit (LEO) environment, and showed enhanced resilience when compared to Kapton and HOPG. Faraday will also introduce their applications in low-reflective coatings and solar thermal absorbers for radiant energy harvesting and conversion.In summary, a scalable EPD manufacturing process for fabricating carbon nanotube based coatings have been developed at Faraday for the applications in the field of low-reflective coatings and broadband solar thermal absorbers.Acknowledgements: The financial support from NASA SBIR program through contracts No. 80NNSC18P2062 & 80NSSC19C0177, DARPA SBIR program through grant No. W31P4Q-22-C-0014, DOD MDA STTR program through grant No. HQ0147-19-C-7065, and DOD Air Force SBIR program through grant No. FA9550-22-P-0015 are acknowledged. Figure 1

Reactive molecular dynamics simulations on the mechanism of the different protection methods of KAPTON during atomic oxygen impact

KAPTON-type polyimide (PI) is a crucial polymer that is often used in the aerospace industry, but the high levels of atomic oxygen (AO) in low-earth orbit (LEO) can cause the polymer to deteriorate and peel, so it is especially important to protect PI from AO. Incorporating nano-reinforcements into PI and applying a protective coating to the surface of PI are the two basic strategies for shielding PI from AO impact. Herein, to investigate the effect and mechanism of different protection methods, molecular models of PI reinforced with graphene (Gr) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as well as covered by silica (SiO2) and Gr, respectively, are constructed. Reactive molecular dynamics simulations are then performed to explore the degradation mechanisms of PI under AO impact. Results indicated that the addition of CNT and Gr can improve the resistance of PI to AO erosion, and their protective effect is mainly by burying in the PI substrate to prevent the penetration of AO downward. Additionally, the protective effect of covering the PI surface with a protective layer is significantly better than that of mixing nanomaterials into the PI substrate. Meanwhile, the protective effect of the Gr protective layer is weaker than that of SiO2 due to its smooth surface, which tends to slip when AO is incident, and it plays a protective effect mainly by bouncing the incident AO. By comparison, the SiO2 protective layer can be embedded into the substrate due to its serrated structure, which better protects the substrate, and it protects the substrate mainly by absorbing the incident AO. This study provides useful guidance for the identification of promising candidate materials for LEO applications, as well as for the development of molecular design for AO-resistant polymeric materials.

High temperature atomic oxygen testing for ESA’s Envision mission to Venus

EnVision will be ESA’s next Venus orbiter, providing a holistic view of the planet from its inner core to upper atmosphere to determine how and why Venus and Earth evolved so differently. The spacecraft will be equipped with a suite of instruments including a sounder to reveal underground layering, and spectrometers to study the atmosphere and surface. The thermal fluxes in orbit around Venus are high, the solar flux at Venus distance is twice its value on Earth (around 2600 W/m2), and the reflected sunlight flux has a similar order of magnitude due to the albedo. Besides, there will also be an aerobraking phase, when a third thermal flux, the aerothermal flux, needs to be considered, with a similar order of magnitude as the two others. These high total thermal fluxes, together with the cold instruments’ requirements and high-power dissipation make the thermal environment a design driver for the mission. The chemistry of the atmospheric environment during aerobraking needs also to be taken into account. Atomic oxygen exists in Venus atmosphere at the altitude range foreseen for aerobraking, with densities of up to 1017 oxygen atoms per cubic metres at aerobraking altitudes. Though the concentrations are small, their accumulation over up to 2000 atmospheric passes lead to total atomic oxygen fluences on the exposed spacecraft surfaces which are comparable to those encountered on typical Low Earth orbiting satellites (upwards of 1021 atomscm-2). This drives the selection of spacecraft materials on the most exposed surfaces. Whilst significant data exists about atomic oxygen erosion effects on materials for Low Earth Orbit, there is little knowledge about high temperature atomic oxygen effects on materials under environmental conditions representative of the Venus atmosphere. To analyse the potential risks for the Envision mission, and to assist the designers in selecting the best materials, an atomic oxygen test campaign is being performed in the ESA ESTEC atomic oxygen ground-based simulator (LEOX facility). The facility has been adapted so that material samples can be simultaneously exposed to atomic oxygen and high temperatures up to at least 200°C. For the test campaign, the Envision instrument teams and designers of the prospective satellite systems are providing candidate materials to be exposed. This includes a variety of materials to be utilised on the outside of the satellite such as thermal control coatings, optical materials, coatings for appendages and antennas and multi-layer insulation. The paper describes the modifications to the facility and the first results of the testing which has been performed.

Measurements of material erosion in space by atomic oxygen using the on-orbit material degradation detector

In recent years atomic oxygen (AO) has become a major challenge for the space community. AO is the most dominant species of the residual atmosphere in low Earth orbit (LEO). In addition, AO was found at the top of the Venusian and Martian atmospheres. As a result of exposure to AO, organic space-facing materials erode, leading to changes in their roughness, thermo-optical properties, and mass loss. In the past years, there has been a growing interest in very low Earth orbit missions, below an altitude of 350 km, where AO density and thus, AO flux, are extremely high. At these low altitudes, material degradation by AO erosion poses a great risk to the integrity of any space-facing material, unless well protected. As such, measuring the AO flux and the consequential material erosion by AO, in real-time while under actual space conditions, are of great interest to the space community.Thus, in this work we present real-time AO material erosion measurements that were conducted, for the first-time in LEO, using the on-orbit material degradation detector (ORMADD). The ORMADD is a low-cost and simple to operate detector, comprised of photovoltaic cells coated with semi-transparent AO sensitive coatings. Two ORMADDs were integrated on TAUSAT-1, a 3U CubeSat, deployed into LEO from the international space station. The first ORMADD was coated with a thin amorphous-carbon coating and the second was covered with a thick pyrolytic Kapton film. Using ORMADD, we were able to follow the erosion of the coatings in real-time conditions and calculate the AO flux in TAUSAT-1 orbit. The average in-orbit flux, derived from ORMADD data, was found to be comparable to the theoretical average AO flux calculated by the space environment information system (SPENVIS) software. This work demonstrates the abilities of ORMADD as a space environment detector, as well as a space material degradation research instrument.