Electrically conductive, low solar absorption, atomic oxygen resistant films for spacecraft thermal and charge control

There is a significant requirement for an electrically conductive thermal c ontrol film for the dissipation of spacecraft charging. The present technol ogy based upon Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) thin conductive coatings on Teflon or kapton films suffer from a range of problems, including poor space durabil ity and a tendency to crack. A new blended polymer film developed at Triton Systems combines the properties of an intrinsically electrically conductiv e polymer with that of an AO resistant polymer. The resulting film, called C-COR for Conductive Colorless Oxygen Resistant, has bulk electrical conduc tivity adjustable between 10(-12) and 10(-8) (ohm-cm)(-1), AO resistance, l ow absorptance, high emittance, vacuum stability, and good mechanical and U V resistant properties. The C-COR polymer can be used as a coating or as a free standing film. Data will be presented on the details of the space dura bility, optical, mechanical, and electrical properties of the C-COR film.