RF-transparent solar shield
By combining durable Kapton films with quartz fibers, an effective solar shield or blanket is produced which also serves as an efficient RF-transparent window. The window consists of a series of Kapton film envelopes sandwiching thin quartz paper. Not only must the window prevent the sun from overheating the electronics and distorting mechanically aligned antennas, it must also prevent radiant heat loss from inside the satellite when it is in shadow and radiating to space at approx. 4/sup 0/K. The guidelines for achieving an effective high-frequency RF window are a low dielectric constant to keep reflections down, a low loss tangent so RF absorption and molecular movement will be minimal, and low mass with tin and lightweight materials. Because these guidelines were followed, the RF insertion loss of the multiple envelope shield is less than 1/4 dB at high frequency. This paper concentrates on the material and processing aspects of an RF-transparent solar shield.
- Research Organization:
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Lexington
- OSTI ID:
- 5788969
- Journal Information:
- SAMPE Q.; (United States), Vol. 16:3
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
SATELLITES
SOLAR RADIATION
SHIELDING MATERIALS
FABRICATION
SHIELDING
FIBERS
PLASTICS
QUARTZ
RADIOWAVE RADIATION
TRANSMISSION
CHALCOGENIDES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
MATERIALS
MINERALS
OXIDE MINERALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PETROCHEMICALS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
RADIATIONS
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SILICON OXIDES
STELLAR RADIATION
SYNTHETIC MATERIALS
360401* - Polymers & Plastics- Preparation & Fabrication- (-1987)
654002 - Radiation & Shielding Physics- Shielding Calculations & Experiments- (-1987)
360601 - Other Materials- Preparation & Manufacture