Nuclear Innovation Commons, Hallowell Bldg
4:00 PM
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ABSTRACT
Space represents an extreme environment for spacecraft materials and systems. For example, in the low-Earth-orbit (LEO) space environment, materials and structures are exposed to high vacuum (10-4-10-5 Pa), thermal cycling (-75 to 150° C), ultraviolet light (100-200 nm), space radiation, potential surface impact from micrometeorites and orbital debris (MM/OD), and atomic oxygen (AO). Materials showing promise for future use in space must be assessed and evaluated for their reaction to exposure to the space environment before being baselined for inclusion into critical space infrastructure. The Space Propulsion and Environments Lab (SPEL) at Penn State performs ground-based testing of materials and systems under simulated space environmental conditions for space verification testing and iterative design processes for space-intended components and materials. Research within SPEL related to in-space electric propulsion (EP) includes high power and low power microwave electrothermal thrusters (METs), beamed microwave EP, air-breathing microwave plasma thrusters, miniature rf ion thrusters, low power rf thrusters, and electron cyclotron neutralizers.
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