MISSE Thermal Control Materials with Comparison to Previous Flight Experiments

Many different passive thermal control materials were flown as part of the Materials on International Space Station Experiment, including inorganic coatings, anodized aluminum, and multi‐layer insulation materials. These and other material samples were exposed to the low Earth orbital environment of atomic oxygen, ultraviolet radiation, thermal cycling, and hard vacuum, though atomic oxygen exposure was limited for some samples. Materials flown on MISSE‐1 and MISSE‐2 were exposed to the space environment for nearly four years. Materials flown on MISSE‐3, MISSE‐4, and MISSE‐5 were exposed to the space environment for one year.Solar absorptance, infrared emittance, and mass measurements indicate the durability of these materials to withstand the space environment. Effects of short duration versus long duration exposure on ISS are explored, as well as comparable data from previous flight experiments, such as the Passive Optical Sample Assembly (POSA), Optical Properties Monitor (OPM), and Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF).