Shielding effectiveness of spacecraft (European Polar Platform) CFRP panels

The author gives a summary of the test programme and results of the shielding effectiveness (SE) measurements made on representative external carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) panels of the European Polar Platform (PPF). The satellite comprises two major elements namely the service module (SM) and the payload module (PM). The payload module in turn comprises a payload carrier (PC) and a payload equipment bay (PEB). The spacecraft walls of the SM are constructed from aluminium whereas for the PM from CFRP. It is the SE of the CFRP panels of the PEB that is under consideration. The measurements were made in the frequency range 100 MHz to 10 GHz