SBIR-STTR Award

Over half of spacecraft system anomalies attributed to interactions with the natural space environment—including electron upsets, damage to components, power system debilities, and complete satellite failures—are attributed to spacecraft charging. While measurements of electron emission, surface potential and electrostatic breakdown provide important information, the “holy grail” of materials characterization in spacecraft charging is a nondestructive method which directly measures the magnitude, spatial distribution, and temporal evolution of internal charge appropriate to practical spacecraft charging problems. Pulsed electro-acoustic (PEA) measurements are potentially such a method. Active spacecraft charging groups with PEA capabilities exist only outside the US. Spacecraft environment fluxes are typically dominated by low energy particles with penetration depths into dielectric materials <2µm, which is less than the resolution of current PEA methods. Box Elder Innovations’ Phase I effort will determine feasibility of increasing spatial charge distribution resolution to ~1µm, while maintaining or improving current temporal resolution and charge sensitivity. Phase II will develop an instrument to measure time evolution and charge density distributions on <1µm length scales. In total, the project should result in a quantum leap in charge density distribution characterization to support the prediction, avoidance and mitigation of destructive effects of charging on spacecraft.

Benefit:
Potential applications include 1) spacecraft charging 2) high voltage transmission line insulation characterization and design, 3) electrostatic breakdown in high voltage devices, and 4) high field breakdown in semiconductor materials/devices and solar arrays. Potential markets exist for each of these applications for measurement systems developed in Phase II of this program.

Keywords:
Spacecraft Charging, Charge Distribution, Dielectrics, Electrostatic Breakdown, Pulsed Electro-Acoustics, Ultrasonics, Semiconductor Devices, Transmission Line Insulation

Over half of spacecraft system anomalies attributed to interactions with the natural space environment including - electron upsets, damage to components, power system debilities, and complete satellite failures - are attributed to spacecraft charging. While measurements of electron emission, surface potential, and electrostatic breakdown provide important information, the great need for materials characterization in spacecraft charging is a nondestructive methods which directly measures the magnitude, spatial distribution, and temporal evolution of internal charge appropriate to practical spacecraft charging problems. Pulsed electro-acoustic (PEA) and pressure wave propagation (PWP) are such methods. Only outside of the US are there active spacecraft charging groups where these capabilities exist. Spacecraft environment fluxes are typically dominated by low energy particles with penetration depths into dielectric materials <2 microns, which is less than the resolution of current PEA/PWP methods. Box Elder Innovations Phase II effort will develop both PEA and PWP mesurement systems with a resolution of ~1 micron while maintaining or improving current temporal resolution. Measurement systems will be interfaced to an environmental chamber for in-situ charging studies in a simulated space environment. The project with bring this capability to the US including significant improvement in spatial resolution of embedded charge distribution measurements.

Benefit:
Potential applications include 1) spacecraft charging, 2) high voltage DC power transmission line insulation characterization and design, 3) electrostatic breakdown in high voltage electronic devices, and 4) high field breakdown in semiconductor materials/devices and solar arrays. Potential markets exist for each of these applications for measurement systems developed in Phase II.

Keywords:
Spacecraft Charging, Charge Distribution, Dielectrics, Electrostatic Breakdown, Pulsed Electro-Acous