Notetaker: Space Weather and Hazards Flashcards
What storm is caused by solar flares?
Radio Blackouts
What storm is caused by solar energetic particles (SEPs)?
Solar Radiation Storms
What storm are major disturbances of earth’s magnetosphere that can upset technological systems?
Geomagnetic Storms
What storm arrives in ~8 minutes (speed of light)?
Radio Blackouts
What storm impacts airline comms, HF radio operators, DoD comms, and satellite comms?
Radio Blackouts
What storm arrives in 15 minutes to 24 hours?
Solar Radiation Storms
What storm impacts airline comms, HF radio operators, DoD comms, astronauts, and satellite electronic failures?
Solar Radiation Storms
What storm is caused by coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and arrive in 3 to 4 days?
Geomagnetic Storms
What impacts components damaged by high current, high energy particles penetrate the satellite, HF (high frequency) radio interference, satellite navigation, slowing satellites, and creates auroras?
Geomagnetic Storms
What occurs when plastics/composites release trapped gasses (volatiles)?
Outgassing
How do you mitigate outgassing?
“Baking in a vacuum”
What can occur when there is no atmosphere to act as a lubricant between mechanical parts?
Cold Welding
How do you mitigate cold welding?
Design =
* Minimized moving parts
* Select lubricants that will not outgas/evaporate
* Use spacecraft rotation to evenly dissipate heat
What environmental hazard occurs when conduction, convection, or radiation happens?
Heat Transfer
How do you mitigate heat transfer?
- Radiation = only transfer method to dissipate heat away from the spacecraft
- Manage temps using conduction & convection
- Structures = composites act as a heat sink
What results when charges build up on different parts of a spacecraft as it moves through concentrated areas of charged particles?
Spacecraft Charging
What occurs when particles contact spacecraft at high speeds?
Sputtering
What occurs when a charged particle makes a deep penetration of the spacecraft?
Single Event Upset
What is long-term damage to the crystal structure of semiconductors within a spacecraft’s computer cause by electrons in the solar wind and the Van Allen belts?
Total Ionizing Dose Effect
These mitigations are for what?
* Hardening/shielding of critical components from radiation
* Warning of environmental conditions allow operators to take evasive action such as launch delays
* Command rescheduling, and even reorientation of the spacecraft
Spacecraft Charging
What occurs when space objects collide with atmospheric molecules, causing a transfer in kinetic energy?
Atmospheric Drag
What environmental hazard remains a concern out to 400 miles?
Atmospheric Drag
How do you mitigate atmospheric drag?
Orbital Maneuvers
