Orbital Space Environment Simulation Chamber

Introduction:

The space at an altitude of 200–600 km above the ground is known as low Earth orbit, which serves as the primary operational region for Earth observation satellites, weather satellites, space stations, and other spacecraft.

The orbital space environment, characterized by high vacuum, extreme high and low temperatures, ultraviolet radiation, atomic oxygen, and particle radiation, poses serious threats to the service life and stability of spacecraft. Establishing orbital space simulation laboratories is essential for studying the effects of the orbital space environment on the physical and mechanical properties of spacecraft.

Functions:

1) Temperature Control: Spacecraft operating within the 200–600 km altitude range experience extreme environmental conditions. Low temperatures cause materials to harden and become brittle, leading to differential contraction, altered performance of electronic components, and condensation or freezing of water. High temperatures result in mismatched expansion rates among materials, causing parts to seize, deformation of materials and seals, fading of organic materials, and cracking.

2) Ultraviolet Radiation: The ultraviolet band of solar radiation can degrade the performance of exposed spacecraft materials. It may cause thermal control coating materials to deteriorate in thermal or optical properties, or even fail, making it difficult for the spacecraft to meet thermal balance requirements. Prolonged UV exposure can alter the mechanical properties of polymer materials, leading to cracking and severely compromising insulation and sealing performance.

3) Atomic Oxygen: Atomic oxygen is the primary component of residual gas in the orbital altitude environment. Its interaction with spacecraft can cause erosion and aging of structural materials, damage thermal control coatings, and severely threaten the reliable operation of spacecraft.

4) Particle Radiation: Charged particle radiation interacts with the outer electrons of materials, exciting them to higher energy levels. When outer electrons are excited, molecular activity changes, resulting in phenomena such as discoloration, decomposition, and fracture of polymer materials.

Parameters:

1) Chamber Size: Customized (based on test specimens)

2) Temperature Range: -150°C to 150°C

3) Vacuum Range: 10⁻⁵ Pa to 10⁻⁷ Pa

4) Electron Radiation: Energy Range: 200 keV to 2.5 MeV

5) Atomic Oxygen: Energy: 5 eV

6) Ultraviolet Radiation: Spectral Range: 0.01–0.4 μm, 0–5 times solar UV irradiance

7) Solar Radiation: Spectral Range: 0.18–3.0 μm, 0–5 times solar irradiance

8) Coupled Conditions: Temperature + Vacuum; Temperature + Vacuum + Electron Radiation; Temperature + Vacuum + Atomic Oxygen; Temperature + Vacuum + Atomic Oxygen + Solar Radiation

(All the above parameters can be customized according to user requirements.)