Sustainable Functional Space Composites Materials with Atomic Oxygen (AO) Protection for Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) Conditions
발표자
남영우 (한국항공대학교)
연구책임자
남영우 (한국항공대학교)
초록
내용
This study evaluates the potential application of oxide/oxide ceramic matrix composites for stealth satellites operating in the Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) environment below 450 km above the Earth's surface. VLEO offers advantages such as reduced communication latency and high-resolution, real-time data transmission due to its proximity to Earth. However, the harsh conditions in VLEO, including high atmospheric drag, extreme thermal cycles (-150 to 150 °C), intense ultraviolet (UV) radiation (100 ~ 400 nm), and material degradation from atomic oxygen (AO flux: 1014~1016 atoms/cm²·s, kinetic energy 5.3 eV) pose significant challenges for satellite materials. A simulated VLEO environment test was conducted using a facility capable of generating ultra-high vacuum (~10⁻⁶ Torr), AO flux (1.35 × 10¹⁷ atoms/cm²·s), thermal cycling (-80 to 150 °C), UV radiation (280~420 nm), thermal cycling (-80 to 150 °C).