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Development of the volt-a shuttle experiment
| Content Provider | NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) |
|---|---|
| Author | Bifano, W. J. Bozek, J. M. Ferguson, D. C. |
| Copyright Year | 1985 |
| Description | The NASA Lewis Research Center (LeRC) is investigating potential problems associated with the operation of high voltage solar cell arrays in the space plasma environment. At high voltages, interactions between the solar array and the space plasma could result in unacceptable levels of electrical discharge (arcing) and/or parasitic losses (current drains from the array to the plasma). The objective of the Voltage Operating Limit Tests (VOLT-A) Shuttle bay experiment is to characterize space plasma/solar cell panel interactions in low earth orbit. VOLT-A consists of an experiment plate subassembly which contains four solar panels, an electronics subassembly and a Langmuir probe subassembly mounted on an MPESS carrier. During a given 8.25 hour data taking period (5-1/2 continuous orbits), the solar panels, which represent state-of-the-art solar cell technologies, will be sequentially subjected to bias voltages in steps ranging from minus 626 V to plus 313 V. Appropriate measurements will be made at each voltage to characterize arcing and parasitic losses. Corresponding measurements of the plasma environment (plasma density, electron temperature and neutral density) will also be made. Data will be recorded on an on-board tape recorder for subsequent data reduction and analysis. |
| File Size | 997182 |
| Page Count | 14 |
| File Format | |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://archive.org/details/NASA_NTRS_Archive_19860004641 |
| Archival Resource Key | ark:/13960/t44r2s48n |
| Language | English |
| Publisher Date | 1985-01-01 |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Solar Cells Electric Potential Losses Low Earth Orbits Aerospace Environments Spaceborne Experiments Arc Discharges High Voltages Electric Arcs Space Plasmas Earth Orbits Ntrs Nasa Technical Reports Server (ntrs) Nasa Technical Reports Server Aerodynamics Aircraft Aerospace Engineering Aerospace Aeronautic Space Science |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Technical Report |
