Related papers: On-Orbit Degradation of Solar Instruments
Mirrors are a subset of optical components essential for the success of current and future space missions. Most of the telescopes for space programs ranging from Earth Observation to Astrophysics and covering all the electromagnetic…
The widespread use of metallic structures in space technology brings risk of degradation which occurs under space conditions. New types of materials dedicated for space applications, that have been developed in the last decade, are in…
In August 2025 a workshop was convened to bring together experts to better understand steps that can be taken to mitigate the impact of satellite constellations on astronomical observations. At the time, just over 12,000 operational…
Theoretical aspects of a solar sail material degradation are presented when the solar electromagnetic and corpuscular forms of radiation were considered as sources of degradation. The analysis of the interaction of two components of solar…
Gaps in space weather observations that can be addressed with small satellites are identified. Potential improvements in solar inputs to space weather models, space radiation control, estimations of energy budget of the upper Earth's…
Model simulations of solar irradiance reaching the Earth's surface during a solar eclipse constitute a useful tool for studying the impact of this phenomenon on the radiance propagation through the atmosphere. A simple approach to extend…
Understanding space weather is vital for the protection of our terrestrial and space infrastructure. In order to predict space weather accurately, large amounts of data are required, particularly in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectrum.…
Several lunar missions are planned ahead and there is an increasing demand for efficient photovoltaic power generation in the moon. The knowledge of solar cell operation in the lunar surface obtained during early seventies need to be…
Mitigating risks posed by solar energetic particles (SEPs) to operations and exploration in space and Earth's atmosphere motivates the development of advanced, synergistic approaches for monitoring, modeling, and analyzing space weather…
Mercury, due to its close location to the Sun, is surrounded by an environment whose conditions may be considered as "extreme" in the entire Solar System. Both solar wind and radiation are stronger with respect to other Solar System bodies,…
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…
The rapid increase in the number of space debris represents a substantial threat to the sustained viability of space operations and underscores the importance of understanding long-term drivers of orbital decay. This first of its kind study…
Energetic events on the Sun, particularly coronal mass ejections and high speed streams, regulate the near Earth space environment and give rise to space weather. A major terrestrial manifestation of such events are geomagnetic storms. A…
The exponential growth of global capacity along with a reduction in manufacturing costs in the last two decades has caused photovoltaic (PV) energy technology to reach a high maturity level. As a consequence, currently, researchers from all…
Solar flares are occasionally responsible for severe Space Weather events, which can affect space-borne and ground-based infrastructures, endangering anthropic technological activities and even human health and safety. Thus, an essential…
Commissioning of SCUBA-2 included a program of skydips and observations of calibration sources intended to be folded into regular observing as standard methods of source flux calibration and to monitor the atmospheric opacity and stability.…
The Medium Energy Proton and Electron Detector (MEPED) on board the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellites (NOAA POES) is known to degrade with time. In recent years a lot of effort has been…
Forty years ago, Apollo astronauts placed the first of several retroreflector arrays on the lunar surface. Their continued usefulness for laser-ranging might suggest that the lunar environment does not damage optical devices. However, new…
This article is a second analysis step from the descriptive arXiv:2001.10952 preprint. This work is aimed to arise awareness to the scientific astronomical community about the negative impact of satellites' mega-constellations and put in…
The current cycle minimum appears to be deeper and broader than recent cycle minima, and this minimum appears similar to the minima in the early 1900s. With the best-ever solar irradiance measurements from several different satellite…