The increasing number of successfully deployed space missions have resulted in an increased density of manmade objects positioned in orbital domains near Earth. With this steady accumulation of objects in space, it is becoming more imperative to characterize spacecraft materials, which may ultimately be contributors to the orbital debris population. In order to ascertain the potential damage from orbital debris, a laboratory hypervelocity impact test was conducted using a 56-kg modern spacecraft representative satellite (DebriSat) to simulate a catastrophic fragmentation event in low Earth orbit. In an effort to identify unique, material-specific spectroscopic markers, a select number of the spacecraft materials used to construct DebriSat were analyzed using reflectance spectroscopy as a characterization technique for assessment on material type according to optical features. Spectral measurements of DebriSat materials analyzed prior to the laboratory impact are presented in this paper. These data provide a spectral characterization baseline for modern-day spacecraft materials in their pristine conditions and are compared to each other to distinguish spectra of materials belonging to different classifications with an effort of grouping them using color index. The ongoing efforts to classify materials utilizing their reflectance spectroscopic fingerprint are discussed in this study.
Ground- and space-based optical observations of space objects rely on knowledge concerning how spacecraft materials interact with light. One common surface material for many currently active spacecraft is Kapton-HN polyimide. Changes in optical signature for polymeric materials can occur due to surface degradation, leading to altered reflectivity, or due to radiation induced chemical modification, leading to an alteration of a material’s absorption/transmission properties. The optical fingerprints of commonly used materials change continuously under exposure to high energy electrons, a primary damaging species in geostationary Earth orbit (GEO). Laboratory observations show that these changes in a material’s optical signature are wavelength dependent and to some degree transient. This work investigates the changes in the optical reflection behavior of a variety of aerospace materials before and after electron irradiation. The results of this investigation will find use in the space debris remediation community for characterization of high area to mass ratio (HAMR) objects and other larger space debris.
Ground- and space-based optical observations of space objects rely on knowledge concerning how spacecraft materials interact with light. One common surface material for many currently active spacecraft is Kapton-HN® polyimide. Changes in optical signature for polymeric materials can occur due to surface degradation, leading to altered reflectivity, or due to radiation induced chemical modification, leading to an alteration of a material’s absorption/transmission properties. The optical fingerprints of commonly used materials change continuously under exposure to high energy electrons, a primary damaging species in geostationary Earth orbit (GEO). Laboratory observations show that these changes in a material’s optical signature are wavelength dependent and to some degree transient. This work investigates the changes in the optical reflection behavior of a variety of aerospace materials before and after electron irradiation. The results of this investigation will find use in the space debris remediation community for characterization of high area to mass ratio (HAMR) objects and other larger space debris.
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