Plasma effects on the passive external thermal control coating of Space Station FreedomThe current baseline chromic acid anodized thermal control coating on 6061-T6 aluminum meteoroid debris (M/D) shields for SSF has been evaluated. The degradation of the solar absorptance, alpha, and the thermal emittance, epsilon, of chromic acid anodized aluminum due to dielectric breakdown in plasma was measured to predict the on-orbit lifetime of the SSF M/D shields. The lifetime of the thermal control coating was based on the surface temperatures achieved with degradation of the thermal control properties, alpha and epsilon. The temperatures of each M/D shield from first element launch (FEL) through FEL+15 years were analyzed. It is shown that the baseline thermal control coating cannot withstand the -140 V potential between the conductive structure of the SSF and the current plasma environment.
Document ID
19920056115
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Carruth, Ralph, Jr. (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Vaughn, Jason A. (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Holt, James M. (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Werp, Richard (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Sudduth, Richard D. (Boeing Defense and Space Group Huntsville, AL, United States)