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US 6,332,590 B1Granted
Photoemission based spacecraft charging sensor
AssigneeSpace Systems/Loral, Inc.
InventorDavid Oh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A charging sensor that uses photoemission to directly measure the electrical potential of a spacecraft in orbit relative to the space environment. The photoemission based charging sensor uses photoemission from a photoemitting conductive plate of a charge probe as a reference point for voltage readings and provides direct measurements of spacecraft charging.
Claims20
A charge sensor for use with a spacecraft, comprising:
- a charge probe comprising a photoemitting conductive plate isolated from the body of the spacecraft, the photoemitting conductive plate providing a reference for voltage measurements;
- and
- probe electronics coupled between the charge probe and a ground plane of the spacecraft;
- and wherein photoemission from the conductive plate clamps the potential of the conductive plate to the potential of the ambient plasma surrounding the probe so that measurements of the potential between the conductive plate and the spacecraft are a direct measurement of the potential between the spacecraft and the ambient plasma surrounding the conductive plate, the charge probe and sensor measuring the potential of the spacecraft relative to ambient plasma surrounding the probe which corresponds to charge accumulation on the spacecraft.
1 more element
Apparatus comprising:
- a spacecraft;
- a solar array disposed on the spacecraft;
- a charge probe comprising a photoemitting conductive plate disposed in an isolated relationship with respect to the solar array, the photoemitting conductive plate providing a reference for voltage measurements;
- and
- probe electronics coupled between the charge probe and a ground plane of the spacecraft;
- and wherein photoemission from the conductive plate clamps the potential of the conductive plate to the potential of the ambient plasma surrounding the probe so that measurements of the potential between the conductive plate and the spacecraft are a direct measurement of the potential between the spacecraft and the ambient plasma surrounding the conductive plate, the charge probe measuring to the potential of the spacecraft relative to ambient plasma surrounding the spacecraft which corresponds to charge accumulation on the spacecraft.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.