Changes of the Electrical and Optical Character of Polyimide Films (and the Chemistry that Drives Them) Due to Exposure to High Energy GEO-like Electrons
Abstract
As a result of the interaction between the spacecraft and its operational environment, the constituent materials begin to change. These changes are determined by a combination of energy deposition, the resulting chemical reactions, and contamination. These changes negatively impact the ability of spacecraft operators to predict the behavior of a spacecraft as it ages. For example, in the case of electrical conduction in polyimide, there is a three orders of magnitude decrease in the resistivity after only eight months of simulated GEO electron exposure. This will affect the results of models designed to predict the spacecraft electric potential a spacecraft will adopt and could lead operators to fly a spacecraft in unsafe conditions. Optical changes in the material also dramatically impact the ability of ground based optical observations to identify and track both known and unknown spacecraft. We are presenting work to quantify the changes in total reflection and electrical conduction of aluminized polyimide film after simulated aging in a GEO-like electron environment. We correlate these data with the chemical structure of the film as determined by X-Ray Photoelectron Spectrometry (XPS). A deeper, predictive understanding of how materials change will not only increase the operational lifetime of space assets by improving material selection, it will also improve space situational awareness (SSA) by allowing ground based observers to more accurately deduce component materials and determine how long a spacecraft has been in orbit.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 18, 2015
- Accession Number
- AD1001963
Entities
People
- Dale Ferguson
- David Wellems
- Russell Cooper
- Ryan Hoffman
Organizations
- Air Force Research Laboratory