NSSDCA ID: 1964-074A-01
Mission Name: S 55CThe frequency at which two different thicknesses of stainless steel were punctured in space was obtained by use of 216 stainless steel cells with a thickness of 9.87E-3 cm. The cells were pressurized with helium (absolute pressure of 1300 mm Hg) and mounted in seven rows around the periphery of the spacecraft. The test material was half-hard type 302 stainless steel coated with a 1.4-micron-thick thermal balance cover consisting of successive layers of chromium, silicon monoxide, aluminum, and silicon monoxide. Of the 210 active cells (six cells were inactive because of telemetry limitations), 70 had 2.54 plus or minus 2.5-micron-thick test material, and 140 had 50.8 plus or minus 2.5-micron-thick test material. The total exposed area of each class of detector was 0.69 sq cm and 1.38 sq cm, respectively. When a cell was punctured the gas leaked out, and the drop in pressure caused a switch to open indicating that a puncture had occurred. The frequency at which cells lost pressure was a direct measure of the frequency at which the test material was being punctured by meteoroids. Although the cells could not detect any additional punctures, they did provide a permanent record of the initial puncture. The experiment operated satisfactorily during its 365-day life, recording 50 punctures of the 25-micron cells and 74 punctures of the 50-micron cells. The data obtained were in good agreement with puncture rates obtained in previous satellite experiments.
Questions and comments about this experiment can be directed to: Coordinated Request and User Support Office
Name | Role | Original Affiliation | |
---|---|---|---|
Mr. G. W. Green | Other Investigator | NASA Langley Research Center | |
Mr. Charles A. Gurtler | Principal Investigator | NASA Langley Research Center |