KOBE (Komplexe Bestrahlungseinrichtung), a test facility for the complex simulation of solar and particle radiation in high vacuum and space heat sink environment, is just now available in the DLR-Institute for Space Sensor Technology.
The evaluation of degradation effects for material properties as a consequence of its interaction with solar and particle radiation in the free space is a very important requirement particularly for long term space missions.
The essential point of our investigations concerning to degradation effects is the change of optical and thermooptical properties for several materials. These effects are to evaluate necessarily under the expected environmental conditions. That's why the availability of suitable test facilities is a requirement.
The most important material defects in the free space are originated particularly from the solar radiation, especially in the wavelength range below 200 nm, as well as the particle radiation by protons and electrons. These radiation effects influence simultaneously on the surfaces and cause non-linear degradation symptoms as a rule. Therefore it is also essential to simulate the simultaneous influence of the complex radiation components in the equivalent test procedure.
The development of the KOBE test facility is a collaboration together with the Institute for Low Temperature Physics and Engineering (National Academy of Science of Ukraine) and the Institute of Physics and Power Engineering (State Scientific Centre of Russia).