A device for space particles parameters measuring and evaluating their impact on the satellite-building materials
The article describes the effect of small fractional space debris on satellite-building materials that are most vulnerable to the impact of dust particles, such as various optical products materials (portholes, protective glasses, lenses, mirrors, solar batteries, thermal control coatings and electrovacuum insulation). Collision with particles of the centimeter-sized space debris is fatal for a satellite, and the space stations may be damaged. A head-on collision with millimeter-sized particles will cause the satellite or station equipment failure or destroy it. The smaller particles are cannot inflict significant damage to satellite equipment, but may lead to degradation of the fragile parts. The article proposes the design and principle of operation of a flat panel cosmic dust detector. This device makes allows perform complex spatial registration of the impact of meteoroid and technological particles on the spacecraft. The basis of the device design is a body made of nanocomposite material or beryllium aluminum alloy with mechanically fixed cells containing the following materials: a piezo-active polarized PVDF film, a thin-film capacitor sensor, a phosphor, various satellite-building materials, and an aerogel layer for trapping and further post-flight study of fractional space debris. The detector registers and measures parameters of impacts based on several physical phenomena, such as an MDM structure breakdown consisting of a dielectric layer and metal conductive layers deposited on it, phosphor glow and a signal from the piezosensor. The design being described includes special target inserts from vulnerable satellite building materials to control the degree of their degradation under the impact of a dust particles stream.