Control and Monitoring Techniques

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Control and Monitoring Techniques

Garrett, Henry B. / Whittlesey, Albert C.

Charge control devices are a means of controlling spacecraft potential. Various active charged‐particle emitters have been and are being developed and show promise of controlling spacecraft potential in the space plasma environment. These devices are sometimes recommended for charge control purposes. Plasma contactors are currently the most widely used charge control devices. The occurrence of environmentally induced discharge effects in spacecraft systems is usually difficult to verify. Often, the only thing known about an anomaly is that it occurred at some spacecraft time. Spacecraft charging effect monitors require data analysis support to produce the desired results. It is recommended that monitor packages be carried on all geosynchronous spacecraft. These packages should consist, at a minimum, of a dosimeter, energetic plasma environment detector, surface potential monitor, and transient voltage pulse detector. Various types of IESD monitors are currently in development and should be seriously considered also.

aerospace materials; plasma; surface charging