Developing And Qualifying Space Lighting Systems

Abstract

ILC's involvement in aerospace lighting will be discussed, detailing the pitfalls and problems associated with the design development and qualification of space suitable hardware. A recent project will be investigated and a brief opinion of the requirements for future space lighting issues will be presented.ILC's history in the aerospace lighting field began in 1977 with a project for a xenon short arc lamp for the Mars Viking Lander biological experiments.This lamp required the design and fabrication of a 5 watt device that would withstand lift -off and on -orbit conditions and function once landed on Mars. This first ILC product was an outgrowth of on -going work at Varian in Palo Alto.Next came lighting for the Space Shuttle both the interiors and exteriors; fluorescent tubes for the European Spacelab; beacon lights for the manned maneuverable unit; light sources for several shuttle experiment packages and currently, projects to provide pilot lights for a tethered satellite, beacons for rockets, and the general illumination for the proposed Space Station.