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Analyses of Contaminated Solar Array Handrail Samples Retrieved from Mir
Technical Paper
1999-01-2694
ISSN: 0148-7191, e-ISSN: 2688-3627
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English
Abstract
In January 1998 during the STS-89 mission, an eight section Russian solar array panel was retrieved after more than ten years exposure to the orbital space environment on the Russian space station Mir. Two darkened handrail samples from the Russian solar array have been evaluated for contamination; a section of a white paint covered rigid handrail and a section of woven fabric overwrapped around a flexible handhold. The handrail samples were evaluated using optical microscopy (OM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Optical properties were also obtained. Microscopy has shown the discolored areas to have thick layers of contaminant that has crazed and spalled off in regions. Energy dispersive spectroscopy revealed that the brown contaminant is composed of oxidized silicon. No silicon was present on the unexposed fabric over-wrap, and very small amounts were present in the white paint. Therefore, the contaminant layer on both samples is attributed to silicone contamination from other spacecraft materials that have been oxidized by atomic oxygen while in orbit. A significant source of the silicone contamination appears to be from the solar array itself.
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Citation
de Groh, K. and McCue, T., "Analyses of Contaminated Solar Array Handrail Samples Retrieved from Mir," SAE Technical Paper 1999-01-2694, 1999, https://doi.org/10.4271/1999-01-2694.Also In
References
- Visentine, J. Mir Solar Array Return Experiment AIAA 99-0100 1999
- MIR Solar Array Returned Experiment (SARE) Archive System NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, Virginia http://setas-www.larc.nasa.gov/sare/sare.html U.S. and Russian SARE Analysis Team Participants
- Visentine, J. personal communication
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- Wyatt, O. H. Dew-Hughes, D. Metals, Ceramics and Polymers Cambridge University Press 1974
- Banks B. A. de Groh, K. K. Rutledge, S. K. Haytas, C. A. Consequences of Atomic Oxygen Interaction with Silicone and Silicone Contamination on Surfaces in Low Earth Orbit Proceedings of SPIE 3784 1999
- Courtesy of B. Banks at NASA Glenn Research Center