scope:

This Handbook is intended to describe conditions under which spacecraft charging might be an issue, generally explain why the problem exists, list typical design solutions, and provide an introduction to the process by which design specifics should be resolved.

This document is also intended to be an engineering tool, and is written at the graduate engineering level for use by aerospace engineers, system designers, program managers, and others concerned with space environment effects on spacecraft. Much of the environmental data and material response information has been adapted from published and unpublished scientific literature for use in this document. It is not possible to place all the necessary knowledge into one document to be used as a cookbook; therefore, this document should be used as a preliminary reference and/or checklist only, primarily to identify if spacecraft charging is an issue for a particular mission.

Purpose

The purpose of this Handbook is multifold. First, it serves as a single reference source that contains suggested detailed spacecraft design requirements and procedures to minimize the effects of spacecraft charging and to limit the effects of the resulting ESD. Second, it contains supplementary material and references to aid in understanding and assessing the magnitude of the phenomenon.