SIMULATION SPACECRAFT POLYMERS — ATOMIC OXYGEN INTERACTION AT LOW ORBIT IN THE EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE

Abstract

The paper represents procedures developed for the simulation of the interaction of polymers, which are the spacecraft structure materials, with the flows of hyperthermal atomic oxygen (AO) at very low-Earth orbits (VLEOs) by use of high-energy ions of a rarefied plasma. The development is based on laboratory and space test data (the Mir orbital station, the ISS, the Space Shuttle, and Spot 1, 2, 4). The parameters that characterize the physicochemical and dynamic interaction of atomic oxygen flow with the spacecraft structure’spolymers are determined, such as erosion yield, solar absorptance, momentum and energy accommodation coefficients, and also erosion depth and surface roughness polymer film. The parameters of the «AO — polymer» interaction are reported as a function of energy and AO fluence. The use of AO ion flows for energies 30…100 eV allows one to simulate an interaction of «AO — polymers» at altitudes 170…300 km (VLEOs) in the Earth’s atmosphere.