Environmentally-induced discharges in solar arrays

An investigation of the behavior of solar array segments in active environments has been conducted to quantify their behavior. The study was directed toward understanding the characteristics of geomagnetic charging in geosynchronous orbits and high-voltage behavior in dense thermal plasma environments at lower altitudes. The charging characteristics were found to be due to the material characteristics of the cover glass and surrounding dielectric materials. Electric field concentrations in the gap regions between the cells were found to be the primary source of discharges. There were three types of discharge identified: two associated with charge loss from the cover glass and the third associated with stored charge depletion from the solar array structure and the measurement circuit. The discharges associated with high-voltage operations in dense plasmas exhibited only the third category of discharge