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Last Update: February 10, 1998
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Experiment Title: Atomic-Oxygen-Stimulated Outgassing
Original Principal Investigator(s): Burris, Dr. Charles - Invest. Role: Present, Linton, Mr. Roger - Invest. Role: Original, Linton, Mr. Roger - Invest. Role: Present, Scott, Dr. Robert - Invest. Role: Present, Scott, Dr. Robert - Invest. Role: Original,
Experiment Description:The interaction of atomic oxygen with materials in low Earth orbit (LEO) is,
for many materials, a degrading factor leading to erosion, surface
modification, and emission of gaseous species. Many materials (e.g., thermal
control surfaces) are known to produce outgassed products and possible
particulate contamination when exposed to a space environment. While these
emitted gaseous products are generally low molecular weight byproducts of
oxidation, concerns for the atomic oxygen stimulated emission of optically
degrading outgassing products led to the development of AO034. The
contamination can produce severe optical damage to the surface. It can cause
an increase in surface absorption of incident radiation, thereby altering a
thermal control surface, or it can cause off- axis scattering of incident
radiation thereby reducing the imaging characteristics of a specular
reflector. These concerns were primarily based on observations of the relative
degree of contamination for thermal control coatings exposed to varying degrees
of atomic oxygen on Skylab.
The NASA Marshall Space Flight Center initially became involved in the
contamination problem when it investigated the potential contamination problems
associated with the Apollo Telescope Mount experiments. Since then, areas of
interest which have been investigated are sources, effects, and abatement of
contamination; restoration of surfaces; and sizing of micron-size particles
using light scatter. Thermal control surface, solid-rocket plume impingements,
and returned Skylab specimens have been examined. The mechanisms of
contaminants and synergistic effects of the space environment are not fully
understood, and the results of these investigations do not show contamination
damage of the magnitude observed on the Skylab mission.
Photograph Classification: Postflight
Associated Photograph(s):
LaRC - L91-09090
KSC - KSC-390C-1558.02
JSC - None
LaRC - L90-10416
KSC - None
JSC - S32-77-065
LaRC - L84-07015
KSC - KSC-384C-15.01
JSC - None
LaRC - L90-10451
KSC - None
JSC - S32-78-100
LaRC - L90-13407
KSC - KSC-390C-1030.09
JSC - None
LaRC - L84-07005
KSC - KSC-384C-14.03
JSC - None
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