When the authors think of space, they typically think of a vacuum containing very little matter that lies between the Earth and other planetary and stellar bodies. However, the space above Earth's breathable atmosphere and beyond contains many things that make designing durable spacecraft a challenge. Depending on where the spacecraft is flying, it may encounter atomic oxygen, ultraviolet and other forms of radiation, charged particles, micrometeoroids and debris, and temperature extremes. These environments on their own and in combination can cause degradation and failure of polymers, composites, paints and other materials used on the exterior of spacecraft for thermal control, structure, and power generation. This article briefly discusses and gives examples of some of the degradation experienced on spacecraft and flight experiments as a result of the space environment and the use of ground and space data to predict durability.


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    Title :

    Degradation of spacecraft materials in the space environment


    Additional title:

    Abbau von Raumfahrtwerkstoffen im Weltraum


    Contributors:

    Published in:

    MRS Bulletin ; 35 , 1 ; 20-24


    Publication date :

    2010


    Size :

    5 Seiten, 7 Bilder, 19 Quellen



    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Print


    Language :

    English




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