CORROSION IN AEROSPACE ELECTRICAL/ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS IN THE EARLY YEARS OF THE APOLLO PROGRAM, KENNEDY SPACE CENTER,FLORIDA

摘要

CORROSION IN AEROSPACE ELECTRICAL/ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS IN THE EARLY YEARS OF THE APOLLO PROGRAM, KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLORIDA. The two failures discussed resulted in delays of Lunar Launches and, in doing so, changed fabrication techniques of cross country underground splices and of plating of electrical contactors. These failures were caused by corrosion. The first failure was a lead sheathing over a splice in a cross country communication hookup between the Launch Control Center and the Launch Complex 39A and 39B at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The lead sheathing was attacked by sulfate reducing bacteria and moisture resulting in crevice corrosion and allowed moisture to intrude into the communications cable shorting several systems. New drying and suspending cable techniques were devised for the underground cross country line. The second failure was two gold over silver plated contacts. Gold plate is inherently porous which allowed the sulfur from the sulfide laden atmosphere around Kennedy Space Center to get to the silver plate and lift the gold plate off. A change in plating material to a more corrosive resistant plating as an under plating is being used today in most electronic components today.