Effect of Ram and Zenith Exposure on the Optical Properties of Polymers in Space.

Overview

The temperature of spacecraft is influenced by the solar absorptance and thermal emittance of the external spacecraft materials. Optical and thermal properties can degrade in the low Earth orbital (LEO) space environment where spacecraft external materials are exposed to various forms of radiation, thermal cycling, and atomic oxygen. One objective of the Polymers and Zenith Polymers Experiments was to determine the effect of LEO space exposure on the optical properties of various spacecraft polymers. These experiments were flown as part of the Materials International Space Station Experiment 7 (MISSE 7) mission on the exterior of the International Space Station (ISS) for 1.5 years. Samples were flown in ram, wake or zenith directions, receiving varying amounts of atomic oxygen and solar radiation. Total and diffuse reflectance and transmittance of flight and corresponding control samples were obtained using a Cary 5000 UV-Vis-NIR Spectrophotometer. Integrated air mass zero solar absorptance (as) of the flight and control samples were computed and compared. Optical and atomic oxygen erosion data are compared with similar MISSE 2 polymers exposed to space for four years. Results show that prolonged space exposure increases the solar absorptance of some materials. Knowing which polymers remain stable will benefit future spacecraft design.

Competition history

• AJAS 2018 Category not listed

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