Hypervelocity impact induced arcing and Kapton pyrolization in a plasma environment
Abstract
Tests were performed on the Space Station Freedom (SSF) solar array flat conductor circuit (FCC) to determine if hypervelocity impacts could induce pyrolization of Kapton and/or cross-conductor arcing. A sample piece of FCC was placed in a plasma environment and biased to +200 V relative to the plasma potential. The FCC was then impacted with particles in the 100 micron size range with hypervelocities of about 7 km/s. These tests were unable to induce Kapton pyrolization, cross-conductor arcing, or any other plasma interaction.
- Publication:
-
NASA STI/Recon Technical Report N
- Pub Date:
- March 1994
- Bibcode:
- 1994STIN...9428814C
- Keywords:
-
- Electric Arcs;
- Flat Conductors;
- Hypervelocity Impact;
- Impact Tests;
- Micrometeoroids;
- Pyrolysis;
- Solar Arrays;
- Space Station Power Supplies;
- Earth Orbital Environments;
- Kapton (Trademark);
- Meteoroid Protection;
- Plasma Potentials;
- Space Debris;
- Spacecraft Design, Testing and Performance