1999•Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC)Requires access
THE IMPACT OF THE SPACE ENVIRONMENT ON SPACE SYSTEMS
H. C. Koons, Joanna Mazur, Richard S. Selesnick, J. B. Blake, Joseph F. Fennell
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Abstract
We have undertaken a study to determine the impact of the space environment on space systems. Known impacts include mission outages, mission degradation and mission failure, launch delays, redesign and retest, anomaly analyses, and the ultimate cost for each of the preceding. We are attempting to quantify these impacts whenever possible. This task is made difficult because impacts are rarely formally documented. We reviewed a variety of sources for anomaly impact information. These sources include anomaly reports from the archives of the Space Sciences Department of The Aerospace Corporation and other organizations, written and oral information from other staff members of The Aerospace Corporation, and contractor reports and published documents relating to spacecraft anomalies. The study provides a good indication of the quality and quantity of the data available. It also shows the degree to which it is possible to obtain impact information for historical anomalies. We summarize the results of the study, and emphasize those causes for which it may be possible to provide predictive information such as surface charging, internal charging, and the single-event upsets that accompany solar proton events.