An autonomous charge control system at geosynchronous altitude: flight results for spacecraft design consideration

Geosynchronous spacecraft have a history of charging anomalies. Conventional, passive protection measures are often complex and costly. Results from an alternative approach: an autonomous Charge Control System (CCS) as flown on DSCS are presented. These results show that a system can be constructed to prevent charging hazards by maintaining charge build-up below established safe operating limits with a plasma system which can be activated in less than 1 minute.