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Solar Effects on Tensile and Optical Properties of Hubble Space Telescope Silver-Teflon Insulation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Kim K. de Groh ,
Joyce A. Dever ,
Aaron Snyder ,
Sharon Kaminski ,
Catherine E. McCarthy ,
Allison L. Rapoport  and
Rochelle N. Rucker
Kim K. de Groh
Affiliation:
[email protected], NASA Glenn Research Center, Electro-Physics Branch, 21000 Brookpark Rd., M.S. 309-2, Cleveland, OH, 44135, United States, 216-433-2297, 216-433-2221
Joyce A. Dever
Affiliation:
[email protected], NASA Glenn Research Center, Electro-Physics Branch, 21000 Brookpark Rd., M.S. 309-2, Cleveland, OH, 44135, United States
Aaron Snyder
Affiliation:
[email protected], NASA Glenn Research Center, Electro-Physics Branch, 21000 Brookpark Rd., M.S. 309-2, Cleveland, OH, 44135, United States
Sharon Kaminski
Affiliation:
[email protected], Hathaway Brown School, 19600 North Park Blvd., Shaker Heights, OH, 44122, United States
Catherine E. McCarthy
Affiliation:
[email protected], Hathaway Brown School, 19600 North Park Blvd., Shaker Heights, OH, 44122, United States
Allison L. Rapoport
Affiliation:
[email protected], Hathaway Brown School, 19600 North Park Blvd., Shaker Heights, OH, 44122, United States
Rochelle N. Rucker
Affiliation:
[email protected], Hathaway Brown School, 19600 North Park Blvd., Shaker Heights, OH, 44122, United States
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Abstract

During the fourth servicing mission of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), the second set of solar arrays (SA-II) was replaced with a third set and the SA-II was brought back to Earth. A section of the retrieved SA-II solar array drive arm (SADA) multilayer insulation (MLI), which experienced 8.25 years of space exposure, was provided to NASA Glenn Research Center for environmental durability analyses of the top layer of silver-Teflon fluorinated ethylene propylene (Ag-FEP). Because the SADA MLI had solar and anti-solar facing surfaces and was exposed to the space environment for a long duration, it provided a unique opportunity to study solar effects on environmental degradation of Ag-FEP, a commonly used spacecraft thermal control material. Therefore, the objective of this research was to characterize the degradation of retrieved HST SADA Ag-FEP with particular emphasis on solar radiation effects. Data obtained included tensile properties, solar absorptance, surface morphology and chemistry. The solar facing surface of the SADA was found to be extremely embrittled and contained numerous through-thickness cracks. Tensile testing indicated that the solar facing surface lost 60% of its mechanical strength and 90% of its elasticity while the anti-solar facing surface had ductility similar to pristine FEP. The solar absorptance of both the solar facing surface (0.155 ± 0.032) and the anti-solar facing surface (0.208 ± 0.012) were found to be greater than pristine Ag-FEP (0.074). Solar facing and anti-solar facing surfaces were microscopically textured, and locations of isolated contamination were present on the anti-solar surface resulting in increased localized texturing. Yet, the overall texture was significantly more pronounced on the solar facing surface indicating a synergistic effect of combined solar exposure and increased heating with atomic oxygen erosion. The results indicate a very strong dependence of degradation, particularly embrittlement, upon solar exposure with orbital thermal cycling having a significant effect.

Keywords

embrittlementoptical propertiesradiation effects
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 929: Symposium II – Materials in Extreme Environments , 2006 , 0929-II05-08
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2006

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