Analysis of solid microparticle influence on spacecraft solar arrays

As it is known, solar array degradation in space is a multi-component function of environment depending mainly on deterioration of the solar array parameters under the corpuscular radiation effect, thermal cycling, charging, etc. Insufficiently studied factors bringing about degradation include effects of micrometeorites, comet and artificial-origin particles. It is assumed to think that the cover glasses of solar cells (SC) erode and fracture under impacts of meteorite bodies. In this case, power drop of a LEO solar array does not exceed 0.2-0.25% per 1 year. However, under certain circumstances, solid particle influence may result in the solar cells shunting and substantial degradation of their power. Shunting occurs under particular structural changes in the semiconductor structure and may be observed at an impact of rather large (over 50-100 /spl mu/m) and high-velocity (over 5-7 km/s) particles.