Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
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]
Oxygen compatibility is a critical issue in space, aircraft, medical, and industrial applications. At WSTF, researchers investigate the effects of increased oxygen concentration on the ignition and burning of materials and components used in these applications.
Additionally, satellites in VLEO are exposed to very high levels of elemental oxygen, [20] also known as atomic oxygen (AO), a highly reactive form of oxygen that corrodes most substances quickly. [21] This requires the use of special coatings to protect objects and equipment in this orbit.
The atomic oxygen content in the regolith is estimated at 45% by weight. [ 15 ] [ 16 ] Studies from Apollo 17's Lunar Atmospheric Composition Experiment (LACE) show that the lunar exosphere contains trace amounts of hydrogen (H 2 ), helium (He), argon (Ar), and possibly ammonia (NH 3 ), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), and methane (CH 4 ).
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]
NASA's Long Duration Exposure Facility, or LDEF (pronounced "eldef"), was a cylindrical facility designed to provide long-term experimental data on the outer space environment and its effects on space systems, materials, operations and selected spores' survival. [2] [3] It was placed in low Earth orbit by Space Shuttle Challenger in April