Hostname: page-component-7b7567c8c-7pwfn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-11-15T09:00:38.446Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Low Earth Orbital Atomic Oxygen Interactions with Spacecraft Materials

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Bruce A. Banks,
Kim K. de Groh and
Sharon K. Miller
Bruce A. Banks
Affiliation:
Electro-Physics Branch, NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH 44135, U.S.A.
Kim K. de Groh
Affiliation:
Electro-Physics Branch, NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH 44135, U.S.A.
Sharon K. Miller
Affiliation:
Electro-Physics Branch, NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH 44135, U.S.A.
Get access

Abstract

Atomic oxygen, formed in Earth's thermosphere, interacts readily with many materials on spacecraft flying in low Earth orbit (LEO). All hydrocarbon based polymers and graphite are easily oxidized upon the impact of ∼4.5 eV atomic oxygen as the spacecraft ram into the residual atmosphere. The resulting interactions can change the morphology and reduce the thickness of these materials. Directed atomic oxygen erosion will result in the development of textured surfaces on all materials with volatile oxidation products. Examples from space flight samples are provided. As a result of the erosive properties of atomic oxygen on polymers and composites, protective coatings have been developed and are used to increase the functional life of polymer films and composites that are exposed to the LEO environment. The atomic oxygen erosion yields for actual and predicted LEO exposure of numerous materials are presented. Results of in-space exposure of vacuum deposited aluminum protective coatings on polyimide Kapton indicate high rates of degradation are associated with aluminum coatings on both surfaces of the Kapton. Computational modeling predictions indicate that less trapping of the atomic oxygen occurs, with less resulting damage, if only the space-exposed surface is coated with vapor deposited aluminum rather than having both surfaces coated.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 851: Symposium NN – Materials for Space Applications , 2004, NN8.1
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2005

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

REFERENCES

1. NOAA, NASA and USAF, U.S. Standard Atmosphere, 1976, NASA TMX-74335, 1976.Google Scholar
2. Banks, B. A., de Groh, K. K., Rutledge, S. K., Di Filippo, F. J., “Prediction of In-Space Durability of Protected Polymers Based on Ground Laboratory Thermal Energy Atomic Oxygen,” paper presented at the Third International Space Conference, Toronto, Canada, April 25–26, 1996.Google Scholar
3. Mende, S. B., Swenson, G. R., Clifton, K. S., Science, Vol. 225:191, 1984.Google Scholar
4. Banks, B.A., Rutledge, S.K., “Low Earth Orbital Atomic Oxygen Simulation for Materials Durability Evaluation”, Fourth European Symposium on Spacecraft Materials in Space Environment, Toulouse, France, 6–9, September, 1988, pp.372–392.10.Google Scholar
5. Banks, Bruce A., Rutledge, S. K., Paulsen, Phillip E. and Steuber, Thomas J., “Simulation of the Low Earth Orbital Atomic Oxygen Interaction With Materials by Means of an Oxygen Ion Beam,” Presented at the 18th Annual Symposium on Applied Vacuum Science and Technology, Clearwater Beach, Florida, February 6–8, 1989; NASA TM 101971, 1989.Google Scholar
6. Banks, Bruce A., “The Use of Fluoropolymers in Space Applications” in Modern Fluoropolymers, Edited by Scheirs, John, (pp.103–113), Chapter 4, John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 1997.Google Scholar
7. “Prediction of Erosion of Polymer-Based Materials by Atomic Oxygen in LEO,” Integrity Testing Laboratory Inc. Final Report, GRC Contract #C-72917-G, 1998.Google Scholar
8. Banks, B. A., Rutledge, S. K., Chan, A., Sahota, M., “The Development of Surface Roughness and Implications for Cellular Attachment in Biomedical Applications,” NASA TM 2001–211288, presented at the 2001 Fall Meeting of the Materials Research Society, Boston, MA, November 26–30, 2001.Google Scholar
9. Banks, B. A., Stueber, T.J., Snyder, S. A., Rutledge, S. K., and Norris, M. J., “Atomic Oxygen Erosion Phenomena,” presented at the American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics, Defense and Space Programs Conference, Huntsville, AL, Sept. 23–25, 1997.Google Scholar
10. Banks, B., Lenczewski, M., and Demko, R., “Durability Issues for the Protection of Materials from Atomic Oxygen Attack in Low Earth Orbit,” NASA TM-2002–211830 August, 2002, Paper IAC-02–1.5.02 presented at the 53 International Astronautical Congress, The World Space Congress – 2002, Houston TX, October 10–19, 2002.Google Scholar
11. Jaworske, D. A., de Groh, K. K., Podojil, G., McCollum, T. and Anzic, J., “Leveling Coatings for Reducing the Atomic Oxygen Defect Density in Protected Graphite Fiber Epoxy Composites,” Journal of the IES (Institute of Environmental Sciences), May/June 1994, Vol. XXXVII, No. 3, pp. 26–31.Google Scholar