Meteoroid and technogenic particle impact on spacecraft solar panels

Abstract

This paper presents calculated models and the results of estimates of meteoroid and technogenic particle impact on spacecraft solar panels. It is shown that optical losses resulting from the formation of microcraters on the surface of protective glasses of semiconductor photoconverters (PC) are negligible (less than 0.01%). Significantly greater losses can occur as a result of shunting the PC p–n junction. In high and medium orbits, these losses are 0.1–0.2%/year for the glass thickness of 150 μm and the area of one PC of 30 cm². Decreasing the glass thickness up to 100 μm can lead to increasing power losses up to 0.6%/year.