From Charge Buildup to Breakdown: Understanding Spacecraft Surface Interactions

Electrostatic charging and subsequent discharge (ESD) are persistent contributors to spacecraft anomalies. Understanding the risk they pose requires insight into how spacecraft materials and configurations interact with charged particles and photons in the space environment.

This presentation provides an introduction to the physical mechanisms that drive charge accumulation on spacecraft surfaces, the development of differential surface potentials, and the conditions that lead to electrostatic breakdown. Topics include charge deposition and emission processes, the influence of material properties such as secondary electron emission and conductivity, and the role of geometry, time scales, and environmental transients in shaping charging behavior.

The talk also discusses how laboratory measurements and physics‑based simulations are used together to evaluate charging risk, and how these tools inform system‑level design decisions early in development. The goal is to give participants a clear, practical framework for understanding spacecraft charging as a time‑dependent, system‑level problem and for assessing ESD risk before it becomes a late‑stage surprise.

Видео From Charge Buildup to Breakdown: Understanding Spacecraft Surface Interactions канала Electro Magnetic Applications, Inc.