MATHEMATICAL SIMULATION METHODS TO PREDICT CHANGES OF INTEGRAL AND SPECTRAL OPTICAL SURFACE CHARACTERISTICS OF EXTERNAL SPACECRAFT MATERIALS AND COATINGS

摘要

The methods of statistical prediction of the change of optical properties of materials and coatings applied on spacecraft surfaces with regard to data of laboratory and in-flight experiments are presented. The prediction methods are based on mathematical simulations that describe the change of optical characteristics of spacecraft materials under the influence of environmental factors, namely, solar UV-radiation, atomic oxygen, protons and electrons of the radiation belts, solar wind and flares, affecting materials properties both separately or simultaneously. The methods of analysis of experimental data by means of structural and parametric identification of mathematical models of materials damage, the methods of predicting the changes of materials optical properties in space environment as well as results of prediction for specific spacecraft orbits are presented.