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The Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF), which was retrieved in 1990 after spending 68 months in LEO, revealed that space environments are very hostile to many spacecraft materials and components. Atomic oxygen, which is the most prevalent atomic species encountered in low earth orbit, is highly reactive with plastics and some metals ...
Corrosion in space is the corrosion of materials occurring in outer space.Instead of moisture and oxygen acting as the primary corrosion causes, the materials exposed to outer space are subjected to vacuum, bombardment by ultraviolet and X-rays, solar energetic particles (mostly electrons and protons from solar wind), and electromagnetic radiation. [1]
Oxygen cleaning is a necessary, but not always a sufficient condition for high partial pressure or high concentration oxygen service. The materials used must also be oxygen compatible at all expected service conditions. Aluminium and titanium components are specifically not suitable for oxygen service. [2]
Two days after liftoff, on April 13, 1970, an oxygen tank in Apollo 13’s service module exploded. The explosion crippled the spacecraft, leaving it without most of its oxygen supply, electricity ...
There are several known allotropes of oxygen. The most familiar is molecular oxygen (O 2), present at significant levels in Earth's atmosphere and also known as dioxygen or triplet oxygen. Another is the highly reactive ozone (O 3). Others are: Atomic oxygen (O 1), a free radical. Singlet oxygen (O * 2), one of two metastable states of ...
The Space Shuttle thermal protection system (TPS) is the barrier that protected the Space Shuttle Orbiter during the extreme 1,650 °C (3,000 °F) heat of atmospheric reentry. A secondary goal was to protect from the heat and cold of space while in orbit.
S383 is also more resistant to atomic oxygen encountered on orbit prior to berthing. [17] The Type II was used to launch small elements in the shuttle payload bay while bolted to an ACBM or to similar flight-support equipment because the V835 material is more resistant to the damaging effects of scrubbing under vibration. [18]
All space tethers are susceptible to space debris or micrometeoroids. Therefore, system designers will need to decide whether or not a protective coating is needed, including relative to UV and atomic oxygen. For applications that exert high tensile forces on the tether, the materials need to be strong and light.