Measurements of erosion characteristics for metal and polymer surfaces using profilometry

The surfaces of many materials exposed in low earth orbit are modified due to interaction with atomic oxygen. Chemical changes and surface roughening effects can occur which alter optical and other properties. The experiment A0114 contained 128 solid surface samples, half of which were exposed on the front and half on the rear of LDEF. Each sample has been subjected to many analyses, but only the methods and techniques used to measure the changes in roughness, erosion depths, and material growth using profilometry are described.