Nanocomposite layers for spacecraft protection: from multiscale numerical model to experimental data
In space environment, the surfaces of a spacecraft interact with the surrounding charged particles. Depending on the orbit, this interaction can induce a significant absolute charge on the structures and/or a differential charge collected among components. These phenomena generate electrostatic discharges with catastrophic consequences for the satellites. In this work, we investigate the volumetric electrical properties of nanocomposites made of aerospace-grade epoxy resin (RTM6) with single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) as fillers to mitigate the electrostatic discharge phenomenon.