Development and testing of coatings for orbital space radiation environments

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Aerospace Engineering
• Photovoltaics

Background:

• Space missions require materials with high tolerance to radiation.
• Existing solar cell covers face degradation from space radiation.
• Need for durable coatings for flexible solar cell arrays.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate multilayer coatings for improved space radiation tolerance.
• Investigate the stability of ultraviolet reflection (UVR) and antireflection (AR) coatings.
• Assess coating performance on solar cell covers and flexible substrates.

Main Methods:

• Deposition of UVR and AR multilayer coatings on solar cell covers and substrates.
• Exposure to simulated space environments (UV, proton, atomic oxygen).
• Testing on the Materials International Space Station Experiment-7 (MISSE-7) in low Earth orbit.

Main Results:

• Coated solar cells and substrates showed minimal degradation from UV, proton, and atomic oxygen exposure.
• UVR/AR coatings effectively protected underlying flexible polymer substrates.
• Demonstrated stability of coatings in both simulated and actual space conditions.

Conclusions:

• Developed multilayer coatings exhibit significant stability and protective capabilities in space environments.
• These coatings are suitable for protecting flexible solar cell arrays for extended space missions.
• Progress achieved in creating robust coatings for demanding aerospace applications.