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Materials Issues in the Space Environment

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 Materials Issues
observation for scientific or military
purposes as well as manned spacecraft,
such as the ISS. In each orbit, external
spacecraft materials are subjected to
vacuum, intense ultraviolet (UV) radia-
tion from the sun, ionizing particle

in the Space radiation (protons/electrons), micromete-

oroids and debris impacts, and thermal
cycling (typically from −175 to 160°C), all
of which can result in material damage.

Environment In addition, on-orbit charging (electrostatic

discharge) can affect spacecraft compo-
nents. Each orbit has its own peculiarities:
in GEO, electrostatic discharge is of more
Judith C. Yang and Kim K. de Groh, concern than in other orbits; in MEO, par-
ticle radiation levels can be especially high
Guest Editors (Van Allen belts); and in LEO, atomic
oxygen (AO) is an additional concern not
present in higher altitude orbits. AO is
Abstract generated by the photo-dissociation of
To explore higher, farther, and faster, scientists and engineers have developed molecular oxygen by intense UV sunlight,
advanced materials for manned spacecraft and satellites for a range of sophisticated where the vacuum conditions are
applications in transportation, global positioning, exploration, and communication. sufficiently low in LEO (Figure 1), such
Materials used in space are exposed to vacuum, intense ultraviolet radiation from the that the probability for the AO to recom-
sun, and ionizing radiation that results in material damage as well as charging bine is low. Since spacecraft travel is at
(electrostatic discharge effects), micrometeoroids and debris impacts, and thermal ~8 km s−1 in LEO, the space vehicles ram
cycling (typically from −175 to 160°C). In terms of materials degradation in space, the into the AO with a relative kinetic energy
low Earth orbit (LEO), where LEO is defined as 200–1000 km above the Earth’s of ~4.5 eV. Therefore, in terms of materials
surface, is a particularly challenging synergistic environment, since atomic oxygen in space, LEO is an intriguing and com-
(AO) is present along with all other environmental elements. Hence, this special issue plex environment, since all environmental
focuses primarily on the materials issues experienced in LEO by space environmental elements occurring in space are present
exposure, such as on the exterior of the International Space Station and the Hubble (Figure 2), if not always to their maxi-
Space Telescope, and the challenges and opportunities of ground-based laboratory mum extent. Hence, this special issue
sources to mimic LEO. The combination and comparison of both in-flight and ground- focuses primarily on the materials issues
based experiments are needed for the development of predictive understanding of the
experienced in LEO.
materials degradation and AO passivation mechanisms in LEO. Such insights are
As shown in Figure 1, AO is the most
predominant species in LEO. It is also
essential for the development of advanced materials and coatings to ensure the long-
present in other planetary orbital environ-
term durability and performance of vehicles employed in space.
ments, such as in low Mars orbit. At
spacecraft velocities, AO is energetic
enough to cause bond breakage and sub-
sequent oxidation in many spacecraft
materials. The oxidation products of most
Introduction and Background polymers are gas species; therefore, exten-
Space exploration began with gazing at step on the moon. As space programs sive material erosion occurs.1–5 AO can
the stars; as early as 3000 BC, Babylonian developed during the past 50 years, the produce serious structural, thermal, or
astronomers made methodical observa- focus has shifted from single-use space optical degradation of spacecraft compo-
tions of the skies. The telescope was vehicles to re-usable and long-term vehi- nents.6,7 Figure 3 shows AO erosion of
invented in ~1600 AD, and Galileo Galilei cles, such as the Space Shuttle and the Teflon-fluorinated ethylene propylene
introduced the telescope to the study of International Space Station (ISS)—both of around a small protective particle after
astronomy in 1609; the developments and which are substantial engineering achieve-
utilization of the telescope have had a ments—that must withstand long-term
tremendously profound impact on our exposure to the harsh space environment. 700

understanding of the universe. However, The orbits in space are classified as geo- H
600
it was not until the last century that we stationary Earth orbit (GEO), which is a N2
Altitude (km)

500
accomplished the spectacular achievement geosynchronous orbit 36,000 km directly He O
400 O2
of sending engineered spacecrafts and above the equator, and medium Earth
humans into space. The first successful orbit (MEO), which is between GEO and 300
Ar
orbital launch was of the Soviet unmanned the low Earth orbit (LEO), where LEO is 200
Sputnik (“Satellite I”) mission on October defined as 200–1000 km above the Earth’s 100
4, 1957, which weighed about 83 kg surface. Each orbit is used for different 104 105 106 107 108 109 1010 1011 1012

and orbited Earth at a height of ~250 km. applications. The GEO is primarily for Number Density (cm–3)
By 1960, the first communications and communication satellites; MEO is used for
weather satellites were launched. By 1969, navigation satellites such as the Global Figure 1. Atmospheric composition in
Neil Armstrong became the first human to Positioning System; and LEO is for Earth the low Earth orbit.30

12 MRS BULLETIN • VOLUME 35 • JANUARY 2010 • www.mrs.org/bulletin

 Materials Issues in the Space Environment

direct ram exposure in space.8 Several of metals, metal oxides, semiconductor mate- Spacecraft designers must take into
the articles in this issue emphasize poly- rials, shape-memory composites, ceramic account not only the physical and mechan-
mer, carbon-based, and coating materials materials, optical reflector materials, radia- ical properties of materials they are pro-
because these are essential components to tion shielding materials, thermal control posing for use in space with regard to their
space vehicles—such as structural materi- coatings, and protective materials and intended function but also what the
als for the hull and manipulator arm, coatings. Numerous active experiments expected properties will be at the end of
paints to control the solar absorption and were also flown, such as environment the mission due to degradation by the
thermal emissivity, sealants, and solar monitors and detectors (for AO, radiation, environment to which they will be
array blankets. Polymers such as Kapton and low-energy ion detectors), calori- subjected. Because spacecraft are often
and Teflon-fluorinated ethylene propy- meters and emissivity sensors, and used for exploration and discovery to usu-
lene are also commonly used as thermal microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) ally unknown environments, the first indi-
insulation blankets, often covering large devices. These materials, sensors, and cation of an environmental problem is
surface areas on spacecraft, such as on the devices are the efforts of many organiza- usually through performance failure. Even
Hubble Space Telescope. tions, including various NASA centers, with some advanced knowledge of the
U.S. Department of Defense agencies, the environment in LEO, unforeseen degrada-
Degradation of Materials in Space space industry, and several universities in tion issues can still occur, such as those
Comparison between Space Flight the United States. experienced on the solar array blanket box
Experiments and Ground-Based of the ISS, as shown in Figure 5, or the
Testing
Primary Degradaon Mechanisms in LEO
To determine mechanisms of AO
erosion in the space environment, both in- Fast Atomic Oxygen
space and ground-based laboratory exper- Hyperthermal
iments are necessary. Though in-space 4.5 eV
experiments are expensive and difficult to
Vacuum Ultraviolet Thermal Cycling
control, actual space flight data of the AO
Radiaon –175 to +160°C
erosion yield (volume loss in cm3 per inci-
dent oxygen atom) is needed to assess
the durability of a material for mission Secondary Degradaon Mechanisms in LEO
applicability, since, currently, ground AO
Solar Radiaon
facilities do not perfectly simulate all
X-rays
aspects of the space environment.5 Debris/Meteoroid
Electron + Proton
The first long-duration in-space materi- Impacts
Damage
als exposure experiment was the Long
Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF),
deployed on April 7, 1984 and retrieved on Figure 2. The primary and secondary Figure 3. Atomic oxygen erosion of
January 12, 1990. LDEF was a school bus- degradation mechanisms in the low Teflon-fluorinated ethylene propylene in
sized near cylindrical structure that flew Earth orbit. space.8
with 57 science and technology experi-
ments.9,10 Since the LDEF remained in LEO
for 5.8 years, NASA discovered that the
LEO environment damages many materi-
als dramatically, especially polymers and
some metals.5,11 Because of the intriguing
information from LDEF and observations
from other spacecraft and ground tests,
additional in-space experiments have been
flown. The Materials International Space
Station Experiment (MISSE) is a series of
materials flight experiments consisting of
trays, called passive experiment containers,
which are exposed to the space environ-
ment on the exterior of the ISS (Figure 4).
The objective of MISSE is to test the long-
term stability and durability of materials
and devices in the space environment. The
MISSE 6 mission (MISSE 6A and 6B) was
launched on March 13, 2008, on the space
shuttle Endeavour; it contained more than
1200 material samples along with quartz
crystal monitor experiments and other
active experiments for real-time kinetic
information on the degradation of
a variety of materials. Examples of the
many different types of materials flown on Figure 4. The International Space Station (photographed in March 2008) with a close-up
MISSE 6 include thin-film polymers, photo of MISSE 6A and 6B on the Columbus Laboratory.31

MRS BULLETIN • VOLUME 35 • JANUARY 2010 • www.mrs.org/bulletin 13

 Materials Issues in the Space Environment
Figure 5. Atomic oxygen undercutting degradation of the solar array wing blanket box cover
on the International Space Station after one year of low Earth orbit space exposure.8,31,32
Figure 6. Severe degradation to the aluminized-Teflon outer layer of multilayer insulation on
the Hubble Space Telescope after 19 years of space exposure.
thermal control blankets on the Hubble
Space Telescope,6,12–17 as shown in Figure 6.
Material interactions with the environ-
ment and with combined environments
can be complex and difficult to predict
without validation testing.
Due to the need for validation testing
in ground facilities, spaceflight experi-
ments are also needed to determine the
correlation factors between space expo-
sure and ground facilities. This allows for
more accurate in-space performance
predictions to be made based on ground-
laboratory testing, since multiple differ-
ences exist between ground facilities and
space exposure.12 For AO testing, these
differences include variations in species,
energies, thermal exposures, and radia-
tion exposures, all of which may result in
different synergistic reactions and erosion
rates.18 Past ground-based radiation envi-
ronmental durability tests have indicated
that exposing materials in accelerated
tests to environmental model-predicted
spacecraft mission elements does not sim-
ulate the extent of damage that occurs in
the space environment.18 One approach to
14
overcoming the difficulties in simulating
the space environment using ground-
based testing is to calibrate the facility
using data from actual space-exposed
materials (e.g., ISS, Hubble Space Telescope)
to determine exposure levels required to
replicate degraded properties observed in
space, which is discussed by Miller and
Banks in this issue.
Though the article by Miller and Banks is
focused on the LDEF, Hubble Space
Telescope, and the MISSE missions as
examples of materials degradation in the
LEO, numerous international spaceflight
missions have been conducted by space
agencies besides NASA, including the
European Space Agency and the Japan
Aerospace Exploration Agency, and are
summarized by Edwards et al. in this issue.
Fundamental Mechanisms of
Oxidation by Hyperthermal Atomic
Oxygen
A large amount of empirical information
has been obtained about the AO degrada-
tion of a large variety of materials in the
harsh and dynamic space environment
MRS BULLETIN • VOLUME 35 • JANUARY 2010 • www.mrs.org/bulletin
from LDEF and MISSE missions,3,7,9–11,18–22
but an additional fundamental understand-
ing is needed. Gaining a better fundamental
understanding of the unusual oxidation
mechanisms that are occurring in LEO
requires an ideal laboratory source of AO
that best simulates the LEO environment;
this ideal source would produce a high flux
(>1015 atoms/cm2 s) of a direct beam of
mono-energetic (kinetic energy of 5
eV/atom) oxygen atoms in the ground elec-
tronic state (3P) with no impurities or UV
light present. This hyperthermal AO source
is a demanding engineering problem;5 for-
tuitously, the laser detonation source comes
closest to this ideal. A high-energy pulse of
CO2 laser energy is focused into a conical
expansion nozzle that has been partially
filled with O2 by a pulsed-beam valve that
ignites plasma at the nozzle throat. The
shock wave induced by the plasma dissoci-
ates the molecular oxygen to hyperthermal
AO. Only a handful of sites around the
world own such an AO source, primarily
for space programs (see the article by
Tagawa and Minton in this issue). The reac-
tions of materials with hyperthermal AO
are different than those with thermal AO22,23
or molecular oxygen.22,24–26 Tagawa and
Minton describe fundamental mechanisms
of hyperthermal AO reactions discovered
by the utilization of this novel source under
well-controlled vacuum conditions.
Micrometeoroid and Debris Impacts
(MMOD)
Though AO is the primary species in
attacking materials in LEO, there are
other species that contribute to the degra-
dation of materials in space (Figure 2).
For example, space debris, which consists
of hypervelocity objects produced by
satellites in orbit, and naturally occurring
ultrahigh velocity meteoroids both pres-
ent a significant hazard to operational
spacecraft. During the last 30 years, the
number of spacecraft orbiting the Earth has
increased dramatically, leading to an enor-
mous amount of space debris in
LEO. Collisions with space debris or
micrometeoroids can result in numerous
types of spacecraft degradations such as
dysfunctions in solar cells, degradation
in materials properties, contamination
of optical devices, or even destroying
satellites. These collisions also can form
new additional debris, thereby signifi-
cantly increasing the erosion hazard
for future missions. As an example of
current MMOD studies, NASA Glenn
Research Center is studying the effect
of MMOD impacts on the rubber seals
to be used between NASA’s Crew
Exploration Vehicle and ISS and other
spacecraft such as the lunar module
 Materials Issues in the Space Environment
Altair. These seals prevent the loss of
cabin air when spacecrafts dock together
and hatches are opened so supplies
and crew can pass between them. Seals
similar to flight seals have been made and
impacted with hypervelocity particles and
then leak tested.27,28 In this way, the parti-
cles and kinetic energies that cause seal
failures are determined and the risk of
failure deduced through modeling the
space environment. Figure 7 shows a
rubber seal being hit by an aluminum
projectile and the resulting crater.28 The
article by Grossman et al. in this issue is an
overview of the effects of degradation by
micrometeoroids and space debris.
Thermal Cycling, Solar and (V)UV
Radiation, and Synergistic Effects
Common to all orbits is the degradation
of materials by particle radiation
(protons/electrons), UV light, and ther-
mal cycling. The photovoltaic energy
sources of satellites—solar arrays—are
ideal to discuss these effects, since they
represent one of the most exposed loca-
tions on any spacecraft. Photovoltaic
arrays need to have the highest possible
specific power output with regard to mass
and surface area, while showing as little
degradation as possible under intense UV
radiation and ionizing radiation for life-
times of up to 15 years. In addition, the
arrays need to be durable to thermo-
mechanical stresses induced by tempera-
ture fluctuations up to 200°C. In this issue,
Zimmermann presents the current design
solutions to withstand these environmen-
tal loads for extended periods in space for
this subassembly common to almost all
space missions and advanced material
solutions for increasing their perform-
ance. The challenges in representative
ground testing and extrapolation to end-
of-life conditions for proton, electron, and
UV radiation of solar modules are
Figure 7. Ultrahigh speed images of a 0.7-mm diameter aluminum projectile at 8.17 km/s hitting
a 5.1-mm wide seal; 2.1 μs between images; the damaged seal did not leak significantly.28
MRS BULLETIN • VOLUME 35 • JANUARY 2010 • www.mrs.org/bulletin
addressed. Thermal cycling is critical,
especially with regard to mechanical
defects that can grow and degrade the
module performance on orbit. These
defects have to be identified and recorded
by specialized detection methods, and
their impact in space has to be treated
statistically.
Development of Coating Materials
To protect spacecraft from the harsh
space environment, a wide variety of
durable materials and coatings are uti-
lized, including oxide films, metals,
and semiconductors. The most common
approach to protecting susceptible space-
craft materials from AO erosion is to coat
the material with a thin AO-durable film,
such as SiOx. Unfortunately, microscopic
scratches, dust particles, or other imper-
fections in the substrate surface can result
in defects in the protective coating. These
coating defects can provide pathways for
AO attack, and undercutting erosion of
the substrate can occur.8 Undercutting ero-
sion can be a serious threat to component
survivability, as shown in Figure 5, where
AO undercutting erosion has severely
degraded the P6 Truss port solar array
wing two-surface aluminized-Kapton
blanket box cover on the ISS (a more
detailed discussion is covered in the
Miller article).29
Recently, protective methods have been
developed that reduce the rate of erosion
of polymers by AO. Both silyation
and ion implantation methods have
been devised to enhance the interfacial
integrity between polymers and coatings,
because polymers can be coated with
paints for thermal control and oxide-
based films for protection. The deposited
films of silicon material, produced by both
methods, are subsequently oxidized to
produce stable, graded, and protective
layers that extend into the subsurface of
the polymer. However, even this method
produces surfaces that mechanically
degrade upon exposure at LEO, albeit
more slowly. The article by Kleiman
describes the development of novel
coating materials for protection in the
LEO and GEO environments.
Summary and Outlook
Space has been explored by manmade
vehicles for more than 50 years. The fact
that most of the missions conducted dur-
ing this period have met their intended
objective, even with some observed mate-
rials degradation, injects a degree of confi-
dence in the suitability of their materials
for the space environment. This “space
heritage,” however, is no replacement for a
systematic study of the material behavior
in space, since it provides no information
on the limit of a particular material or
manufacturing technology. An accurate
knowledge of these boundary conditions,
however, is essential for the success of
increasingly challenging missions, which
push the size, performance, and lifetime of
spacecrafts in well-known orbits and even
more so for missions entering into new
frontiers. In the near future, NASA envi-
sions the building of a moon base, investi-
gations of asteroids, robotic missions, and
perhaps human travel to Mars. Whichever
new place we travel to will have
“weather” that we will need to understand
in detail and develop a predictive knowl-
edge of its environment. As we enter into
the next frontier, corresponding new mate-
rials challenges for protection and energy
sources will continually be present.
Therefore, extensive investigations on
the interaction of the various environmen-
tal species with spacecraft materials have
been, and continue to be, conducted on
Earth in several countries with active space
programs as well as in space (e.g., Materials
International Space Station Experiment
missions on the International Space
Station). Most important for materials
research is the examination of each effect
systematically as well as to have all effects
present to determine synergistic effects.
Recent investigations have revealed a vari-
ety of unusual reaction mechanisms and
possible synergistic effects. The following
articles represent the various critical mate-
rials degradation issues in space, particu-
larly in the low Earth orbit environment,
from scientists internationally recognized
in this field.
Acknowledgments
JudithYang thanks the Air Force Office of
Scientific Research and NASA for past sup-
port in the area of materials degradation
in the low Earth orbit. The editors thank
15
 Materials Issues in the Space Environment

Claus Zimmermann and Gary Pippin for
their critical reading of the introductory
article. We are grateful to all of the authors
for their contributions to this special issue.
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December 2008. ■

Judith C. Yang
Judith C. Yang, Guest
Editor for this issue of
MRS Bulletin, can be
reached by e-mail at
judyyang@pitt.edu.
Yang is a professor
in the Mechanical
Engineering and
Materials Science
Department at The
University of Pittsburgh,
with secondary appoint-
Kim K. de Groh
ments in the Chemical
Engineering and Physics
Departments. She earned
her BS degree in physics
at the University of
California, Berkeley, and
her PhD degree at
Cornell University. Yang
was a National Science
Foundation international
post-doctoral research
fellow at Max-Planck-
Institut für
Metallforschung, in
Stuttgart, Germany, and
then a post-doctoral and
visiting lecturer at the
University of Illinois,
Urbana-Champaign. She
joined The University of
Pittsburgh in 1999. Her
research interests include
oxidation, catalysis,
and advanced electron
microscopy—especially
in situ. Yang is the
recipient of the
Chancellor’s
Distinguished Research
Award and National
Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA)
and Beyond Petroluem
(BP America) faculty
fellowships.
Kim K. de Groh, Guest
Editor for this issue of
MRS Bulletin, can be
reached at the NASA
Glenn Research Center,
21000 Brookpark Rd.,
MS 309-2, Cleveland,
OH 44135, USA;
tel. 216-433-2297;
fax 216-433-2221;
and e-mail kim.k.degroh
@nasa.gov.
de Groh is a senior
materials research
engineer in the Space
Environment and
Experiments Branch at
the National Aeronautics
and Space
Administration (NASA)
Glenn Research Center,
where she has conducted
research and mentored
students for the past 20
years. She received her
BS (1985) and MS (1987)
degrees in materials
science from Michigan
State University. Kim
specializes in areas
relating to the durability
of spacecraft materials in
the low Earth orbit space
environment. She is the
principal investigator
for 12 International
Space Station external
experiments, and has
studied the degradation
of Teflon insulation
retrieved from the
Hubble Space Telescope
during each of its
servicing missions. Kim
has more than 95
technical publications
and is co-author of the
chapter “Degradation
of Spacecraft Materials”
in the Handbook of
Environmental
Degradation of Materials
(2005). Her honors
include NASA’s Space
Flight Awareness
Honoree Award and
NASA’s Exceptional
Achievement Medal.
She also received the
Society of Automotive

16 MRS BULLETIN • VOLUME 35 • JANUARY 2010 • www.mrs.org/bulletin

 Materials Issues in the Space Environment
Bruce Banks
Engineers’ (SAE
International) J. Cordell
Breed Award for Women
Leaders; the Rotary
National Award for
Space Achievement
(RNASA) Stellar Award,
and, in 2009, Kim was
inducted into the Ohio
Women’s Hall of Fame.
Bruce Banks can be
reached at the NASA
Glenn Research Center,
Cleveland, OH 44135,
USA; tel. 216-433-2308;
and e-mail Bruce.A.
Banks@nasa.gov.
Banks is the retired
chief of the Electro-
Physics Branch at the
National Aeronautics
and Space Administration
(NASA) Glenn Research
Center and currently is
a senior physicist at
Alphaport Corporation,
serving NASA. During
his 43 years with NASA,
he has lead research
activities in electric
propulsion technology,
thin-film coatings, surface
texturing processes,
atomic oxygen
interactions, and space
environmental effects.
Banks’ efforts have
resulted in 58 spaceflight
experiments or functional
applications of technology
developed by his research
team. He also has
authored 191 technical
publications and 38
patents. He is the most
patented researcher in the
history of NASA Glenn
Research Center. Banks
MRS BULLETIN • VOLUME 35 • JANUARY 2010 • www.mrs.org/bulletin
David L. Edwards Irina Gouzman Eitan Grossman Yugo Kimoto
has been the recipient of Team, branch chief of Eitan Grossman can be J.I. Kleiman can be
six Space Act Awards, the Environmental reached at Soreq NRC, reached at the Integrity
three Federal Laboratory Effects Branch, MSFC Space Environment Testing Laboratory Inc.,
Consortium Awards, and co-resident manager at Section, Yavne 81800, 80 Esna Park Dr., #7-9,
the Arthur S. Fleming the Jet Propulsion Israel; tel. 972-8-9434121; Markham, Ont. L3R 2R7,
Award for selection as Laboratory for the fax 972-8-9434403; Ontario, Canada;
“One of the 10 Jupiter Icy Moons and e-mail tel. 905-415-2207;
Outstanding Young Orbiter Program, and eitan@soreq.gov.il. and e-mail jkleiman@
Employees of the Federal a special assignment as Grossman is the head itlinc.com.
Government.” Center Point of Contact of the Materials Group of Kleiman is the
on the Agency One the Space Environment president and CEO
David L. Edwards can NASA Team. Section at Soreq NRC, of the Integrity Testing
be reached at the NASA Israel. He received his Laboratory Inc. which
Marshall Space Flight Irina Gouzman can be PhD degree in materials he formed in 1989. He
Center, M/S EV44, reached at Soreq NRC, engineering from Ben- earned his BASc degree
Huntsville, AL 35812, Space Environment Gurion University in from the Institute for
USA; tel. 256-544-4081; Section, Yavne 81800, Beer-Sheva, Israel. His Civil Engineers in
and e-mail David. Israel; tel. 972-8-9434412; research interests include Vilnius, Lithuania, his
L.Edwards@NASA.gov. fax 972-8-9434403; and interaction of space MSc degree in solid-state
Edwards has served as e-mail irina@soreq. environment compo- physics and material
the branch chief of the gov.il. nents, such as atomic science from the
Natural Environments Gouzman is a senior oxygen, hypervelocity Technion–Israel Institute
Branch in the research scientist in the debris impact, ultra- of Technology, and his
Engineering Directorate Materials Group, Space violet, and ionizing PhD degree from the
at the National Environment Section, at radiation, with materials. University of Toronto
Aeronautics and Space Soreq NRC, Israel. After Grossman specialized Institute for Aerospace
Administration (NASA) receiving her PhD degree in polymers and surface Studies (UTIAS),
Marshall Space Flight from the Technion–Israel analysis techniques with Canada. Among
Center since December Institute of Technology’s emphasis on SPM. His Kleiman’s scientific and
2005. He received a Chemistry Department group at Soreq works commercial interests, the
bachelor’s degree from in 1999, she joined Soreq on developing new topics on development of
the University of North NRC, where she works materials that will protective materials,
Alabama in physics in on the effects of space withstand the harsh coatings, and surface
1985, a master’s degree environment on environment of the modification
from Auburn University materials durability. low Earth orbit. technologies for space
in physics in 1989, and a Her research interests and aerospace
PhD degree in materials are in the areas of Yugo Kimoto can be applications occupy a
engineering from applied surface science, reached by e-mail at very important place.
Auburn University in nano-diamond films kimoto.yugo@jaxa.jp. In 1992, Kleiman
1999. Edwards started deposition, and materials Kimoto is a researcher established, and has
his career as an engineer characterization by a and associate fellow in since organized, the Bi-
in the Environmental variety of electron the Electronic Devices Annual International
Effects Branch in the spectroscopy techniques. and Materials Group of Space Forum on
Materials and Processes In 2006, Gouzman the Aerospace Research “Protection of Materials
Laboratory and has received an award of and Development and Structures from the
served in a variety of professional excellence Directorate, which is Low Earth Orbit Space
positions, including from the Israel part of the Japan Environment” (ICPMSE
team lead of the Space Government Aerospace Exploration series). He has more than
Environments Effects Commissionership. Agency (JAXA). 120 scientific papers and
17
 Materials Issues in the Space Environment

J.I. Kleiman Sharon K.R. Miller Timothy K. Minton Masahito Tagawa Adrian P. Tighe

presentations in Consortium Technology

reputable international Transfer Award in 2009,
magazines and a Research and
conferences and served Development 100 award
as the chairman of the in 2002, and the NASA
American Society for Exceptional Service
Metals (ASM Medal in 2001.
International), Ontario
Chapter. Timothy K. Minton
can be reached at the
Sharon K.R. Miller can Department of
be reached at NASA Chemistry and
Glenn Research Center, Biochemistry, Montana
Marc Van Eesbeek Ronen Verker Claus G. Zimmermann
21000 Brookpark Rd., MS State University,
309-2, Cleveland, OH Bozeman, MT 59717,
44135, USA; USA; tel. 406-994-5394;
tel. 216-433-2219; and e-mail tminton@ environmental effect on the ground-based Section, Yavne, 81800,
fax 216-433-2221; montana.edu. materials, especially on simulation of space Israel; tel. 972-8-943-4397;
and e-mail sharon.k. Minton is a professor atomic oxygen–induced environmental effects on fax 972-8-943-4403; and
miller@nasa.gov. of chemistry at Montana material erosion in low materials (particularly e-mail rverker@soreq.
Miller is a senior State University, Earth orbit. He also is a UV radiation and atomic gov.il.
research engineer at the Bozeman. His research guest researcher with the oxygen), and laser- Verker is a PhD degree
National Aeronautics and focuses on crossed-beams Japanese Aerospace induced contamination student at Tel-Aviv
Space Administration and beam-surface Exploration Agency effects on space optics. University and a
(NASA) Glenn Research scattering studies of (JAXA). Tighe also has managed research scientist at
Center, where her work energy transfer and the development of ESA’s Soreq NRC. His PhD
for the last 28 years has reaction dynamics at Adrian P. Tighe can be recent materials degree work focuses on
primarily focused on hyperthermal energies, reached at the European spaceflight experiments. the effects of the low
atomic oxygen with applications to Space Agency, ESA- His previous academic Earth orbit space
interactions with space vehicle interactions ESTEC/TEC-QEM, research centered on the environment on
materials, thin-film with Earth’s outer Keplerlaan 1, 2200AG experimental simulation durability of POSS-
coatings, and surface atmosphere. Minton also Noordwijk, The of the orbital debris polyimide hybrid
texturing. She holds a is a senior editor of the Netherlands; environment. nanocomposites. His
master’s degrees in Journal of Physical tel. 31-71-5654190; and research interests
materials science and Chemistry. e-mail Adrian.Tighe@ Marc Van Eesbeek can be include the effects of
engineering (1988) and esa.int. reached by e-mail at hypervelocity impacts
business administration Masahito Tagawa can be Tighe is a materials Marc.van.Eesbeek@ on space durability of
(1996) from Case Western reached at the Graduate engineer at the esa.int. polymers, polymer
Reserve University, and School of Engineering, European Space Agency Van Eesbeek is head fractography,
a bachelor’s degree in Kobe University, (ESA) in the Materials of the Materials Space development of in-orbit
chemical engineering Rokko-dai 1-1, Nada, Space Evaluation and Evaluation and Radiation material degradation
(1984) from Cleveland Kobe 657-8501, Japan; Radiation Effects Effects Section at the detectors, and combined
State University. Miller tel. 81-78-803-6126; and Section. He received his European Space effects of the low Earth
has more than 90 e-mail tagawa@mech. PhD degree in space Research and Technology environment on
publications in these kobe-u.ac.jp. engineering science Centre. polymers.
areas and five patents. Tagawa is an associate from the University of
She has won numerous professor at Kobe Southampton, UK, in Ronen Verker can be Claus G. Zimmermann
awards, including a University, where he 2000. His current reached at Soreq NRC, can be reached at
Federal Laboratory studies the space specializations include Space Environment EADS Astrium, 81663

18 MRS BULLETIN • VOLUME 35 • JANUARY 2010 • www.mrs.org/bulletin

 Materials Issues in the Space Environment

Munich, Germany;
tel. 49-89-607-23873;
fax 49-89-607-24202;
and e-mail claus.
zimmermann@astrium.
eads.net.
Zimmermann is an
expert for solar array
technology in the satellite
division of European
Aeronautic Defense and
Space Company (EADS)
Astrium. He received his
diploma in 1997 from the
University of Bonn,
Germany, and his PhD
degree in 2000 from the
University of Augsburg,
Germany—both in
physics. In 1995 and
1996, he was visiting
scientist at the University
of Newcastle, Australia,
involved in surface
analysis by specialized
sputtering techniques.
From 1997 to 2000, 2001, focusing on the In this role, he has
Zimmermann was a development and pioneered the use of
visiting scholar at the qualification of materials electroluminescence
Materials Research and manufacturing as a characterization
Laboratory of the processes for the space tool for space solar cells.
University of Illinois, environment. Since 2004, Zimmermann also
where he worked on as a member of the has published more
the fundamentals of Electronic Subsystem than 10 papers and has
metal nanoparticle Group, Zimmermann been granted two
substrate interaction. has worked on materials patents. In 1999, he
He joined the Materials issues related to received the MRS
and Processes Section photovoltaic power Graduate Student Gold
of EADS Astrium in generation in space. Award. ■

MRS BULLETIN • VOLUME 35 • JANUARY 2010 • www.mrs.org/bulletin 19

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