Can Harsh Space Environment Destroy Satellite Components?

Whether we realize this or not, satellites are integral to our lives. They provide a wealth of information about Earth’s processes, enable communication and navigation, broadcast TV shows, provide Internet access, and even back up our mobile payments. So, a significant disruption could lead to severe consequences on Earth, putting many of our systems on hold.

This scenario is not an unlikely one because the space environment is incredibly harsh, prone to extreme temperature fluctuations, intense radiation, and severe geomagnetic storms — to say nothing of space junk floating in orbit and posing a danger to operational spacecraft. Incidents that led to significant communication delays have already happened, so today, engineers developing satellite components as on https://dragonflyaerospace.com/components/ are constantly looking to balance tech’s affordable price and reliability in extreme space environments. Balancing durability and high performance in such an environment is not easy; but before we move on to space engineering challenges, let’s find out — what are the effects of space environments on electronic components?

How does space junk affect satellites? 

Let’s start with the apparent space environment hazard—potential mechanical damage from space debris. So far, we have accumulated quite a lot of waste in orbit, and all those pieces of defunct spacecraft pose a danger to operational satellites. Even the tiniest flecks of old paint can reach speeds up to 28,000 km/h in space. Collision at such a speed may cause severe damage to satellite components, especially antennas or solar arrays.

Satellite cameras’ optical sensors can also shutter on collision with space debris, which could damage the lens and corrupt previously captured data. All in all, the risks in the space environment are plenty—and the larger the debris, the higher the potential damage. 

Can space weather damage satellites?          

Sadly, yes. Even on Earth, extreme solar activity (the primary factor influencing space weather) can lead to electronic damage, but this risk is even higher in the space environment. Unlike electronics back on Earth, spacecraft are not shielded by our planet’s atmosphere, so they experience the full power of a radiation environment. However, space weather is a more complex concept, so let’s discuss its potential damage aspect by aspect.

Radiation environment effects

Radiation is one of the space environment hazards. Spacecraft are especially vulnerable to cosmic rays and high-energy particles outside our solar system. However, our own Sun also bombards satellites with charged particles. In the long run, a radioactive environment corrupts many electronic components, resulting in signal flips and short circuits.  Eventually, a high radiation environment poses risks of memory corruption, affects electronic processing capabilities, and sometimes, even physical integrity.

Geomagnetic storms

Geomagnetic storms happen when the Sun ejects charged particles into our planet’s atmosphere, and artificial tech in low-earth orbit is in the electrons’ way. When this happens, electronic components are at high risk of overheating because of the power surges, which affects spacecraft integrity. GPS signals are often disrupted during solar solid storms or coronal mass ejections from our parent star. Besides power system failures, firm electron charges damage the satellite’s surface, slowly eroding it.

Plasma charging

MIT scientists recently concluded that satellites can accumulate electric and plasma charges in the space environment. When the power peaks, it eventually gets discharged, leading to short circuits—often in highly critical satellite components. So, disruptions may happen during low solar activity, too—and yet, they all result from a high-radiation, electrically charged environment.

Advances in handling space environment

Considering harsh space environment conditions, engineers must look for ways to make spacecraft more durable and reliable. New technologies to combat harsh environment are in constant development, and the most impressive advances so far include:

● Radiation-resistant electronics, i.e., silicon carbide chips instead of standard silicon chips;

● Error-correcting memory codes that automatically detect and fix minor disruptions;

● Enhanced shielding, such as multi-layer insulation with nanomaterials and water-based shielding, as a way to absorb more radiation in the space environment;

● Self-healing materials that can automatically repair damage after collisions with space debris;

● Power surge protection to better adjust energy flow within spacecraft;

● Flexible solar arrays that can adjust their position to avoid collisions;

● Advanced warning systems are also needed to prepare for extreme weather, potential collisions with debris, and other space environment hazards.

Even though much has already been achieved in protecting our tech from the harsh space environment, this is not yet the limit. As mentioned, engineers are constantly looking for a way to create spacecraft that combines high durability and affordable cost. Money matters because spacecraft miniaturization and ever-increasing affordability revolutionized our access to space. Today, not only substantial government agencies can afford to launch satellites — smaller companies and research institutions can do that, too. This ensures space access to many bright minds, further pushing our science and technology. And so, we can always count on more innovations to combat the extreme space environment.