Effect of Atomic Oxygen on LEO CubeSat

Atomic oxygen (AO) is a major threat to satellites in Low Earth Orbits (LEO). AO causes serious damage to satellites such as erosion, corrosion and damage to almost all satellites surfaces. This study presents numerical prediction for the space environment effects on NARSSCube satellite using ATOMOX module in Space ENVironment Information System (SPENVIS) online simulation tools. Indeed, the prediction of erosion yields of NARSSCube structure induced by AO flux in LEO with different models is calculated. NRLMSISE model shows the highest mass and thickness loss for the outer surfaces of the satellite in all worst-case scenarios. A comparative study, for the erosion yields of some materials using SPENVIS, MISSE2 and other calculations, is presented. This research recommends the necessity of developing a database for all materials used in space providing all data for the effect of AO on each material in addition to the erosion depth and mass loss.