Scientists have been able to prove that the number of weak currents sometimes occurring on satellites correlates with the number of charges in the environment. This may help protect them in the future.
Satellites in orbit
Scientists at Los Alamos National Observatory recently conducted an interesting study of the electrical activity of satellites in orbit. The paper “Radio Frequency Transients Correlated with Electron Flux Measured On-Board the STP-Sat6” has been published in the journal Advances in Space Research.
It is commonly believed that satellites fly in a vacuum and that every joule of energy in their electrical systems is accounted for. More experienced people know that there are actually still quite a lot of atmospheric molecules around them. Experts have also heard that microscopic breakdowns sometimes occur quite frequently in their electrical circuits.
They are usually inconspicuous, but can potentially pose a threat to the functioning of electronics. Where do they originate? Until now, this has not been established, but the suspicion that the very environment that seems not to exist but actually does exist is to blame suggests itself.
Research results
If there are any molecules around satellites, then it is highly likely that there are also charges present. From a physics perspective, a satellite is a conductor moving in a magnetic field and destined to generate currents. That’s the theory, but in practice, all of this has been proven in this study.
The US Department of Defense’s geostationary satellite, called STP-Sat6, has sensors on board that detect electrical activity both inside and outside the spacecraft. This provides researchers with a unique opportunity to simultaneously view data on both radio frequencies and electronic activity.
In approximately three-quarters of cases, peaks in electronic activity preceded SED events by 24-45 minutes. This delay indicates that the accumulation of charge from low-energy electrons plays a key role in preparing the spacecraft for electrostatic discharges.
According to phys.org
