| 摘要 |
A photocatalytic coating based on titanium dioxide, and certain titanates is applied to the critical external optical spacecraft surfaces to be protected from contamination with polymerized hydrocarbon films. The thickness of the coating is within the range of 5 Angstrom to 2x104 Angstrom and it can be applied using a variety of methods, such as sputtering, electron beam evaporation, or sol-gel processing. A method for cleaning the spacecraft surfaces initiated by a reaction of the coating with a UV-photon, followed by oxidation of the hydrocarbons adsorbed on the protected surfaces thus preventing their polymerization on the surfaces and causing their safe evaporation and dissipation into the environment. At orbital altitudes a stream of H2O2 or oxygen is directed at the surface, possibly continuously, and preferably, periodically, regenerating the original form of titanium in the photocatalytic coating and re-starting the cleaning cycle. The surfaces at orbital altitudes are cleaned by a combined action of the coating and oxygen. |
