Results of the examination of the Skylab/Apollo windows for micrometeoroid impacts.
Abstract
Examination of the Command Module windows of the Skylab/Apollo 3 and 4 spacecraft at 5x magnification resulted in the detection of 18 micrometeroid craters 80 microns and larger in diameter for an accumulated exposure time of 144 days. A 20x magnification examination of the windows of the Skylab/Apollo 4 spacecraft identified 6 such craters between 20 and 70 microns in diameter for 84 days exposure. As the Skylab was oriented such that its solar panels faced the sun continuously, the three windows examined had a fixed orientation also. The six small craters were all found on the window that faced in the solar direction. A cumulative flux per square centimeter per year is given for pit and spall diameters.
- Publication:
-
Lunar and Planetary Science Conference Proceedings
- Pub Date:
- 1979
- Bibcode:
- 1979LPSC...10.1665C
- Keywords:
-
- Apollo Spacecraft;
- Meteorite Craters;
- Micrometeoroids;
- Skylab Program;
- Spacecraft Docking Modules;
- Windows (Apertures);
- Command Modules;
- Meteoritic Damage;
- Skylab 3;
- Skylab 4;
- MICROMETEOROIDS;
- IMPACTS;
- CRATERS;
- APOLLO 3;
- APOLLO 4;
- SKYLAB;
- FLUX;
- SPALLATION;
- DIAMETER;
- DENSITY;
- EXPERIMENTS;
- PROCEDURE;
- PHOTOGRAPHS;
- DATA;
- SPACECRAFT;
- WINDOWS;
- Lunar and Planetary Exploration; Miscellaneous;
- Micrometeoroids