Introduction

The purpose of this chapter is to provide space scientists with detailed knowledge of how the environment of space interacts with, and degrades, spacecraft systems. In particular, the goal is to highlight how these interactions are tied to the parameters that describe the environment in order to show how uncertainties in knowledge of the environment can lead to uncertainties in the prediction of the effects themselves. This in turn leads the designer to over-engineer spacecraft systems in order to ensure that the various effects are properly mitigated throughout the life of a spacecraft. As a result, improvements in models of the space environment could lead to better predictions of these space environmental effects.

The field of space environment effects is split into five separate categories depending on the nature of the environment itself. Two of these categories are directly related to the energetic particle environment: plasma and radiation. Two environments are indirectly dependent on solar conditions: neutral and micrometeroid/orbital debris. The final environment is essentially independent: vacuum. The vacuum, neutral, and micrometeoroid/orbital debris categories will be examined briefly for completeness. The plasma and radiation effects will be examined in more detail. In particular, it will be seen how keV energy particles lead to spacecraft charging; MeV energy particles lead to total-dose radiation effects; while GeV energy particles lead to single-event effects in electronic devices.

Overview of space environment effects

The field of space environment effects is relatively new, having not been an area of concern before the first spacecraft launches some 50 years ago (Tribble, 2003; Hastings and Garrett; 1996).