Related papers: Spacecraft Charging and Hazards to Electronics in …
Space charge effects can significantly degrade charge collection in organic photovoltaics (OPVs), especially in thick-film devices. The two main causes of space charge are doping and imbalanced transport. Although these are completely…
Despite years of research, understanding of the space radiation environment and the risk it poses to long-duration astronauts remains limited. There is a disparity between research results and observed empirical effects seen in human…
Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites are increasingly proposed for communication and in-orbit computing, achieving low-latency global services. However, their sustainability remains largely unexamined. This paper investigates the carbon…
Wakes behind spacecraft caused by supersonic drifting positive ions are common in plasmas and disturb in situ measurements. We review the impact of wakes on observations by the Electric Field and Wave double-probe instruments on the Cluster…
Space debris, also known as "space junk," presents a significant challenge for all space exploration activities, including those involving human-onboard spacecraft such as SpaceX's Crew Dragon and the International Space Station. The amount…
Thanks to post-flight analyses of several artificial satellites carried out during last years, the meteoroids hazard for space navigation and in-orbit satellites permanence is now clear. Even if catastrophic impact is a rare event, high…
Surface charging phenomenon of asteroids, mainly resulting from solar wind plasma and solar radiation, has been studied extensively. However, the influence of asteroid's rotation on surface charging has yet to be fully understood. Here…
The advent of the modular CubeSat satellite architecture has heralded a revolution in satellite missions, drastically lowering the technical and financial barriers to space. Surface charging resulting from energetic electron poses a direct…
The space environment encountered by operating spacecraft is populated by a continuous flux of charged particles that penetrate into electronic devices inducing phantom commands and loss of control, eventually leading to satellite failure.…
Energy harvesting is the fundamental activity in almost all forms of space exploration known to humans. So far, in most cases, it is not feasible to bring, along with probe, spacecraft or rover suitable supply of fuel to cover all mission's…
The impact of exposure to astrophysical ionizing radiation on astronaut health is one of the main concerns in planning crewed missions to Mars. Astronauts will be exposed to energetic charged particles from Galactic and Solar origin for a…
Space debris larger than 1 cm can damage space instruments and impact Earth. The low-Earth orbits (at heights smaller than 2000 km) and orbits near the geostationary- Earth orbit (at 35786 km height) are especially endangered, because most…
The attitude stabilization of a charged rigid spacecraft in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) using torques due to Lorentz force in pitch and roll directions is considered. A spacecraft that generates an electrostatic charge on its surface in the Earth…
As miniaturized spacecraft (e.g., cubesats and smallsats) and instrumentation become an increasingly indispensable part of space exploration and scientific investigations, it is important to understand their potential susceptibility to…
From the point of view of radiation safety, interstellar space is not an empty void. Interstellar gas and cosmic rays, which consist of hydrogen and helium nucleons, present a severe radiation hazard to crew and electronics aboard a…
Thermal electron measurements in space plasmas typically suffer at low energies from spacecraft emissions of photo- and secondary electrons and from charging of the spacecraft body. We examine these effects by use of numerical simulations…
Radiation damage effects represent one of the limits for technologies to be used in harsh radiation environments as space, radiotherapy treatment, high-energy phisics colliders. Different technologies have known tolerances to different…
Space radiation is a major risk for humans, especially on long-duration missions to outer space, e.g., a manned mission to Mars. Galactic cosmic rays (GCR) contribute a predictable radiation background, the main risk is due to the highly…
The threat posed by MMOD to spacecraft has escalated with the growing density of orbital objects, driven by the proliferation of satellite constellations such as Starlink and OneWeb. This paper reviews the current challenges and…
Space debris is a major threat to the satellite infrastructure. A collision with even small particle, e.g. 1 cm of size, can cause a catastrophic event when the parent body, spacecraft or upper stage, will break up into hundreds of…