This report describes some of the instruments and experimental approaches available for measuring optical properties of thermal control materials. It also describes the instruments' uses in laboratory studies of the effects of combined contaminants and the space environment on these materials, and in the qualification of hardware for spacecraft. In recent years, several instruments for measurement of solar absorptance (alpha) and infrared emittance (epsilon) have been introduced. These instruments offer improved speed, accuracy, and data-handling, all of which substantially improve the study of contaminated thermal control materials. A transient method for directly measuring material epsilon is also described, and the results are compared with other instruments. In addition, the understanding of oxygen exposure effects on the alpha of materials following contamination or exposure to simulated space conditions shows that oxygen exposure before measuring alpha should be avoided.
Advances in optical property measurements of spacecraft materials
Entwicklungen in der Messung optischer Eigenschaften von Materialien für Raumfahrt-Anwendungen
1997
6 Seiten, 4 Bilder, 4 Tabellen, 14 Quellen
Conference paper
English
Advances in optical property measurements of spacecraft materials
British Library Online Contents | 1997
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