DUNMORE Materials Again Go Into Space
- Published: February 13, 2015
BRISTOL, PA | DUNMORE Corporation reports it is once again serving as a manufacturer supporting space exploration, spacecraft, and satellite programs. The DSCOVR (Deep Space Climate Observatory) satellite features multilayer insulation (MLI) films and polyimide tapes from DUNMORE to protect critical components from the thermal dangers of space over its five-year mission.
DSCOVR will fly nearly 1 million miles from earth to a position known as the L1 Lagrangian point, a position where the gravitational pull from the sun and Earth essentially balance, allowing DSCOVR to orbit the sun within Earth’s orbit. The satellite has two mission objectives. The first is to monitor space weather caused by coronal mass ejections and solar storms that interfere with modern technology. Communications satellites in high earth orbit are especially at risk from the influx of x-rays and high energy protons that form the extreme solar winds associated with coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The array of two dozen Global Positioning Satellites (GPS) is also at risk, endangering aircraft and ground-based navigation. Solar storms can also induce high electrical currents in utility power lines, potentially crippling large areas of the planet. Experts project an extreme solar storm could result in one to $2 trillion damage and could require a decade from which to recover. DSCOVR is expected to provide an hour or more early warning of solar storms, giving those responsible for maintaining and protecting vulnerable technology the time needed to take appropriate action.
DSCOVR is also tasked with monitoring solar energy reaching and being reflected from Earth, as well as monitoring the planet's atmosphere for concentrations of aerosols, ozone density, UV radiation, and other factors that affect Earth's climate. DUNMORE's multilayer insulation films and polyimide tapes made with Kapton polyimide film from DuPont protect the satellite's propulsion system as well as two critical subsystems: the Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) system, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology Advanced Radiometer (NISTAR) system.
DUNMORE reports that since the early days of SpaceLab, its has supported space programs by engineering materials to address critical overheating problems, with continuous advances in the technology and manufacturing of MLI films, tapes, and electrostatic dissipative (ESD) films.
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