The Meteoroid and Cosmic-Ray Environments of Space Vehicles and Techniques for Measuring Parameters Affecting Them.
Abstract
This study of the meteoroid and cosmic-ray environments of vehicles in space incorporates both terrestrial observations of the secondary effects of mechanisms that operate above the earth's atmosphere and the data obtained from in situ measurements by rocket- and satellite-borne detectors. Several meteoroid environment models are suggested, including: a continuous particle field with no time variation of flux; representing the long-period loading conditions for a space vehicle, a model to represent meteoroid clouds (as contrasted to the continuous particle field) which might damage such vehicles during flight, and an altitude-dependent modification of the continuous particle field model which postulates a meteoroid halo (or belt) surrounding the earth to an altitude of about 4000 km. Techniques for measuring the meteoroid and cosmic-ray environments are discussed, and some new approaches for detector developments are presented. Several general methods for monitoring space vehicle integrity are presented. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 15, 1960
- Accession Number
- AD0262013
Entities
Organizations
- SRI International