Speaker
Maciej Skorupski
(European Space Agency)
Description
Low Earth Orbit (LEO) exposes spacecraft materials to highly reactive atomic oxygen (ATOX), which can cause significant surface erosion, mass loss, and changes in optical and mechanical properties, particularly in polymer based materials. To evaluate material resistance under simulated LEO conditions, ground-based atomic oxygen testing is performed using a dedicated LEOX facility in ESA ESTEC. Testing is conducted in controlled laboratory conditions, where samples are mounted inside the chamber and
exposed to a calibrated ATOX beam. After
irradiation, samples are examined for erosion yield, surface morphology changes, and material degradation using
techniques such as mass loss measurements, optical microscopy, and surface analysis.
Author
Maciej Skorupski
(European Space Agency)