空间环境分子污染对航天器的影响

Effect of Molecular Contamination on Spacecraft

空间环境分子污染对航天器的影响,是目前高可靠性、长寿命航天器在设计时非常重要的问题之一。通过对国外航天器在轨飞行过程中所发生的分子污染现象的总结,从分子污染的来源、形成过程、与原子氧和紫外辐射等其他空间环境因素间的反应、对航天器敏感表面特性的影响等方面,对分子污染效应做了详细的介绍。并指出,材料的真空放气产物和原子氧剥蚀产物在航天器表面的沉积,是分子污染的主要来源。而在原子氧和紫外辐射的作用下,污染层会发生氧化、固结、暗化等现象,使其外观和成分发生了不同程度的变化,从而对航天器敏感表面的光、电、热控等性能带来了很大程度的影响。

It is important for the design of high-reliability and long lifetime spacecrafts to study the effect of molecular contamination on spacecrafts in space environment.A summary review of the present molecular contamination phenomena on spacecrafts is presented.The source,formation process,interaction with other space environmental factors of the molecular contamination,such as atomic oxygen and ultraviolet radiation,and the effects on a spacecraft＇s sensitive surfaces are introduced.The molecular contamination layer is formed by the deposition of the outgassing products of spacecraft materials and the erosion products released by the reaction of atomic oxygen with spacecraft materials.And by the action of atomic oxygen and ultraviolet radiation,the contamination layer is oxidized,fixated,and darkened,and it＇s surface appearance and composition are changed in a complicated way,which can affect the optical,electronic,and thermal control property of such sensitive surface of a spacecraft as its optical windows,camera lenses,thermal control coatings,solar array,sensors,and infrared instruments.