ISS Materials Erode at 400 km as Atomic Oxygen Roughens Polymers and Optics

1 articles · Updated · Hackaday · May 28

At roughly 400 km above Earth, the International Space Station flies through a thin atmosphere where atomic oxygen steadily erodes exposed materials and alters their properties.
UV light above the ozone layer splits O2 into single oxygen atoms, and engineers found the worst damage on surfaces facing the station’s direction of travel.
NASA has spent years mounting material-sample trays outside the ISS, showing carbon-based polymers such as polyimide films erode, carbon composites lose mass, and optical surfaces can become rougher.
Protective coatings including silicon dioxide or aluminum oxide, along with over-designing components, are standard defenses for long-duration missions in low Earth orbit.
The hazard is greater for satellites flying even lower, while deep-space probes largely avoid atomic oxygen and instead face other stresses such as thermal cycling and debris strikes.

As nations push into very low orbit, can self-healing materials conquer the 'atomic sandblasting' that shreds conventional spacecraft?

What is the hidden operational cost of atomic oxygen for the next generation of very low Earth orbit satellite constellations?

How can the same atomic force destroying satellites be harnessed to delicately restore priceless works of art on Earth?