Physics Commons^™

Spacecraft Coating-Induced Charging: A Materials And Modeling Study Of Environmental Extreme, Michelle M. Donegan, Jennifer L. Sample, John R. Dennison, R. Hoffman

All Physics Faculty Publications

As mankind reaches to explore extreme environments in space, the application of ceramics surface coatings is increasing. The 2005 mission concept for Solar Probe used a unique design to achieve the necessary thermal control for a very close approach to the solar corona, including the use of a highly refractory, electrically insulating ceramic coating over a carbon-carbon composite heat shield. The proposed trajectory takes the spacecraft from a Jovian fly-by to within 4 solar radii of the Sun, spanning 5 orders of magnitude in solar radiation and solar wind plasma density as well as spacecraft temperatures from <100 K to >2000 K. Using …