Spacecraft Charging at Geosynchronous Altitudes: Current Balance and Critical Temperature in a Non-Maxwellian Plasma

Spacecraft charging threatens to disable spacecraft components and adversely impact any satellite function. Electrostatic charge, and especially discharge, can hinder the proper operation of, or destroy, spacecraft components, thereby rendering the spacecraft ineffective or inoperative. The level of charging is dependent on the particle energy (speed) distribution. Current spacecraft design and material provide limited protection against the dangers of electrostatic discharge, and active measures such as beam emission are also employed.