Handbook for RF ionization breakdown prevention in spacecraft components

As spacecraft RF operational output power levels continue to increase, the mitigation of plasma-related phenomena such as RF ionization breakdown and multipactor increases in importance1–2. RF ionization breakdown in particular can cause catastrophic damage and potentially lead to significant degradation in system/mission performance. To address the lack of standardized processes related to these issues an industry-wide consortium through the Mission Assurance Improvement Workshop (MAIW) has worked over the last several years to develop and release RF breakdown guidelines for use in design, analysis, test and verification of spacecraft components and systems. The handbook to be discussed in this talk captures worst-case conditions, defines margin requirements and state-of-the-art verification methods. This document also captures industry best practices and provides clearly defined requirements to support the design and integration of spacecraft components. Proper implementation of these guidelines can in some cases mitigate the need for expensive qualification and acceptance testing using accurate and representative numerical analysis. An overview of the handbook and representative examples for how it can be effectively applied will be discussed.