Analysis of Atomic Oxygen Fluence Distribution on Satellite Surface

Abstract

The atomic oxygen (AO) in low Earth orbit erodes spacecraft materials. Since the organic materials are significantly damaged by AO, we must evaluate the erosion effects during satellite missions before launch. The first step in evaluating the erosion effect due to AO is to determine the distribution of AO fluence and/or flux on the entire satellite surface during the satellite mission. The AO fluence on the satellite surface is different for different parts of the satellite surface because the ram surface receives AO changes according to the satellite attitude in orbit. Therefore, AO fluence must be estimated by considering the satellite attitude, shape, ram direction and AO density in orbit. However, there are no studies in which the AO fluence distribution is estimated for the entire satellite surface. In addition, there is no tool to analyze AO fluence distribution on the satellite surface. Thus, in this study, we construct an AO fluence distribution analysis tool and estimate the AO fluence distribution on the entire satellite surface.