Martin Marietta Corporation

Albert Lepore, Jr

Leo J Amore

Susan L Marr

Hamilton Wong

Two opaque sheets made from the same electrically conductive polymer material have adjoining edges. Each sheet is carbon loaded, electrically conductive, opaque black polymer on a first broad side thereof. The sheets are joined along a seam region by means of an opaque, electrically conductive adhesive tape. The electrically conductive adhesive tape includes an elongated opaque sheet of electrically conductive polymer material of the same kind as that of the two opaque sheets which the tape joins. The opaque, electrically conductive adhesive tape also includes a layer of electrically conductive adhesive, which is connected to the electrically conductive polymer material. In a particular embodiment of the invention, the polymer material is polyimide. In a preferred embodiment, the two opaque sheets are thermal coverings for a spacecraft, and each includes a sheet of opaque polyimide, carbon loaded which is electrically conductive, on the exterior of the thermal coverings. The electrically conductive tape includes a sheet of black, electrically conductive DuPont 100XC KAPTON polyimide, and a layer of SCOTCH brand type 9703 electrically conductive adhesive transfer tape. The same tape connects the conductive outer surface of a thermal covering to the spacecraft body.

Thermal blanket joining tape

An RF-transparent sunshield membrane covers an antenna reflector such as a parabolic dish. The membrane includes at least two dielectric sheets of polyimide film 1 mil thick. The surface of the outer film facing away from the reflector is coated with an electrically semiconductive coating such as vapor-deposited germanium having a thickness in the range of 200 .ANG. to 600 .ANG.. A member, such as a glass fiber mat, may be located in the space between the two dielectric sheets for maintaining the sheets in spaced-apart relationship. In another embodiment of the invention, the surface of the film facing the reflector may be reinforced by an adhesively attached polyester or glass fiber mesh.

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Upper Holland, PA, United States of America

Albert Lepore, Jr