PLASMA-DEPOSITED PROTECTIVE COATINGS FOR SPACECRAFT APPLICATIONS

This article describes the properties of thin films that can be applied to polymers used on spacecraft to protect against environmental influences that may affect the life and performance of a space mission. These protective films, derived from volatile compounds via microwave glow discharge, include amorphous hydrogenated silicon and inorganic silicon compounds (silicon nitride, oxide, and oxynitride). The paper describes the performance of these coatings in the presence of deleterious effects of the space environment, including atomic oxygen degradation, electrostatic charging, thermal excursions, and vacuum. The coatings are thin and adhere tightly to the substrate. Application of the coatings does not appear to alter the thermal radiative properties of the substrate. Electrical performance of underlying material in the microwave frequency range is unaffected. Accordingly, these materials provide promising candidates for exterior surfaces of spacecraft to protect the underlying materials from the space environment.