individual experiments to measure the degradation of more than 200 materials in the space
environment.
MISSE-5 passive investigation tested a wide variety of materials. Some focused on new
polymers with additives to slow the atomic oxygen erosion process. Others tested both new
and old thermal control materials used in multilayer insulation blankets. MISSE 5 PFTC materials
experiment consisted of 33 tensile specimens including many of the same types of polymer
films exposed in the MISSE 1-4 Gossamer Materials and PFTC experiments. Results from this
experiment are compared to ram and wake facing polymers in the MISSE 1-4 Gossamer
Materials and PFTC experiments.
The data were compared with other flight experiments and analyzed for solar absorbance,
contamination, and other effects. The majority of the samples flown on MISSE-5 experienced
some loss in tensile strength and percent elongation as a result of exposure to the harsh
environment. Comparing MISSE 1 and MISSE 5 test results indicated that the loss in tensile
strength for the coated FEP Teflon samples was independent of the VUV and radiation levels or
number of thermal cycles indicating that there may be a damage limit which MISSE 1 and 5
both exceeded for this property. The levels at which changes occurred, and which environment
factor or combination of factors caused these changes was unclear and needs further
investigation in experiments where these factors can be controlled or eliminated
independently.
PUBLICATION(S)
Guo A, Yi GT, Ashmead CC, Mitchell GG. Embrittlement of MISSE 5 Polymersafter 13 months of
space exposure. NASA Technical Memorandum; September 2012. [Also presented at the 10th
International Conference on Protection of Materials and Structures from the Space Environment
(ICPMSE-10J), Okinawa, Japan; June 12-17, 2011].
Miller SK, Dever JA. Materials International Space Station Experiment 5 Polymer film thermal
control experiment. Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets. March 2011;48(2):240-245. doi:
10.2514/1.49482.
Miller SK, Dever JA. Space environment exposure results from the MISSE 5 Polymer Film
Thermal Control Experiment on the International Space Station. 11th International Symposium
on Materials in a Space Environment, Provence, France; September 15-18, 2009.
Stambler AH, Inoshita KE, Roberts LM, Barbagallo CE, de Groh KK, Banks BA. Ground-laboratory
to in-space atomic oxygen correlation for the PEACE polymers. 9th International Conference on
Protection of Materials and Structures from Space Environment, Toronto, Canada; 2008 [also in
NASA TP. January 2011, NASA/TM--2011-216904].
de Groh KK, Finckenor MM, Minton TK, Brunsvold AL, Pippin G. Post-flight analysis of selected
fluorocarbon and other thin film polymer specimens flown on MISSE-5. National Space and
Missile Materials Symposium, Keystone, CO; 2007.