scope:

This NASA Technical Handbook presents an overview of the current understanding of the electrical design techniques that can mitigate deleterious effects (such as Paschen and corona discharges) resulting from operation of a high-voltage system in space, references common design practices that have been successful in mitigating these effects in the past, and recommends standard practices to eliminate or mitigate such effects in the future.

Purpose 

The purpose of this NASA Technical Handbook is to present an overview of high-voltage electrical/electronic design techniques required to specify and apply electrical insulation to spacecraft high-voltage parts, components, and systems. Of particular interest are spacecraft system designs that are needed to meet stringent fault-free operation for a period of days to years in space without maintenance. The first objective is to develop an understanding of electrical insulation characteristics and the influence of aging. A second objective is to capture decades of lessons learned and present recommended design, analysis, and test methodologies that have been applied to the many successful space vehicle electronic programs during their development, manufacture, final assembly, test, and flight.

Applicability

This NASA Technical Handbook is applicable to all high-voltage power systems that operate in space. It is not intended to replace the following low Earth orbit or geosynchronous Earth orbit spacecraft charging standards or handbooks: NASA-STD-4005, Low Earth Orbit Spacecraft Charging Design Standard; NASA-HDBK-4006, Low Earth Orbit Spacecraft Charging Design Handbook; IS0-11221, Space Systems-Space Solar Panels-Spacecraft Charging Induced Electrostatic Discharge Test Methods; and NASA HDBK 4002A, Mitigating In-Space Charging Effects-A Guideline. Rather, this NASA Technical Handbook is to complement them to provide for better interior spacecraft high-voltage designs that would prevent Paschen and/or corona discharges, not to deal with plasma interactions that are the purview of other documents.

This NASA Technical Handbook is approved for use by NASA Headquarters and NASA Centers, including Component Facilities and Technical and Service Support Centers. It may also apply to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory or to other contractors, grant recipients, or parties to agreements only to the extent specified or referenced in their contracts, grants, or agreements.

This NASA Technical Handbook, or portions thereof, may be referenced in contract, program, and other Agency documents for guidance. When it contains procedural or process requirements, they may be cited in contract, program, and other Agency documents.