[amsat-bb] AO-40 radiation and charging effects

["Pieter Kotze" <zs1pk@xxxxxxxxx>]

I recently attended a lecture on the space environment effects on
satellites.  Due to my poor physics background it was quite an education.
Something new I learned is that in terms of radiation environment GTO is
about 10x worse that GEO and it in turn is 10x worse than LEO.

With AO-40 stuck in its present orbit is it experiencing a lot more
radiation than it originally would?  Also with the charging effects possible
in Ao-40's orbit, what precautions were needed on the spacecraft antennas?
Furthermore any dielectric materials used on the spacecraft's exterior could
charge up and cause electric discharge or arcing.

73
Pieter

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