Laboratory invesitgations: Low earth orbit environment chemistry with spacecraft surfaces

Conference · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:6096820

Cross, J B

Long-term space operations that require exposure of material to the low earth orbit (LEO) environment must take into account the effects of this highly oxidative atmosphere on material properties and the possible contamination of the spacecraft surroundings. Ground-based laboratory experiments at Los Alamos using a newly developed hyperthermal atomic oxygen (AO) source have shown that not only are hydrocarbon based materials effected but that inorganic materials such as MoS/sub 2/ are also oxidized and that thin (750A) protective coatings such as Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ can be breached, producing oxidation of the underlying substrate material. Gas-phase reaction products, such as SO/sub 2/ from oxidation of MoS/sub 2/ and CO and CO/sub 2/ from hydrocarbon materials, have been detected and have consequences in terms of spacecraft contamination. Energy loss through gas-surface collisions causing spacecraft drag has been measured for a few select surfaces and has been found to be highly dependent on the surface reactivity. 10 refs., 11 figs.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 6096820
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-89-2168; CONF-890799-1; ON: DE89014280
• Resource Relation: Conference: Space operations automation and robotics workshop, Houston, TX, USA, 25 Jul 1989; Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
ALUMINIUM OXIDES
OXIDATION
MOLYBDENUM SULFIDES
PROTECTIVE COATINGS
SPACE VEHICLES
SURFACES
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON DIOXIDE LASERS
CARBON MONOXIDE
ENERGY LOSSES
GRAPHITE
SCATTERING
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
CARBON
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COATINGS
ELEMENTAL MINERALS
ELEMENTS
GAS LASERS
LASERS
LOSSES
MINERALS
MOLYBDENUM COMPOUNDS
NONMETALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
REFRACTORY METAL COMPOUNDS
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
VEHICLES
360205* - Ceramics
Cermets
& Refractories- Corrosion & Erosion
360604 - Materials- Corrosion
Erosion
& Degradation
320201 - Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization- Transportation- Air & Aerospace