Understanding and control of external contamination on the International Space Station
Abstract
The objective of this paper is to develop the reader's understanding of external contamination on the International Space Station (ISS), as well as to present an overview of external contamination control techniques. Issues dealing with the integration of Russian elements into the ISS configuration are described, along with their resolution in order to maintain the system level induced environment specified in the requirements. Characterization of optical property degradation induced by contamination and exposure to the on-orbit environment (ultraviolet radiation exposure and atomic oxygen flux) are being addressed by testing and modeling at Boeing. This paper closes with a status of current activities including return flux and thruster plume erosion modeling, upcoming ISS flight experiments and materials outgassing rate database.
- Publication:
-
Materials in a Space Environment
- Pub Date:
- September 2003
- Bibcode:
- 2003ESASP.540..189S
- Keywords:
-
- Space Environment;
- Materials