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Proposed Modifications To Engineering Design Guidelines Related To Resistivity Measurements And Spacecraft Charging, John R. Dennison, Prasanna Swaminathan, Randy Jost, Jerilyn Brunson, Nelson W. Green, A. Robb Frederickson

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A key parameter in modeling differential spacecraft charging is the resistivity of insulating materials. This parameter determines how charge will accumulate and redistribute across the spacecraft, as well as the time scale for charge transport and dissipation. Existing spacecraft charging guidelines recommend use of tests and imported resistivity data from handbooks that are based principally upon ASTM methods that are more applicable to classical ground conditions and designed for problems associated with power loss through the dielectric, than for how long charge can be stored on an insulator. These data have been found to underestimate charging effects by one to …