Contamination Growth Observed on the Micro-Particles Capturer and Space Environment Exposure Device

摘要

Peer postretrieval observation of the three Micro-Particles Capturer and Space Environment Exposure Devicenunits revealed the growth and distribution of external contamination. All units were remarkably contaminated.nTheir surfaces had turned a uniform brown color and had numerous colored spots. The contamination conditionsndiffered between the ram and wake faces and were affected by their respective exposure durations. X-raynphotoelectron spectroscopy and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy analyses were performed tondetermine the atomic contents and contamination conditions. Comparison of the three units indicated how thencontamination layer grew on the external surface in the low-Earth-orbit environment. Although contamination onnthe ramface expanded continuously at the rate of 39–18 nm=year, the contamination layer thickness observed on thenwake face was very thin and remained virtually unchanged.