Electrically conductive spacer for multilayer insulation grounding

Abstract

As spacecraft electronic control and human support systems get increasingly sophisticated, protection for those systems becomes more critical. Multilayer insulation (MLI) is a common thermal protection system on spacecraft, and it includes layers of metalized film that may build up electrostatic charge that can be hazardous in many respects. MLI should be electrically grounded to prevent the unwanted electrostatic buildup while meeting thermal performance requirements. Aspects of the present disclosure involve a significant improvement in grounding methods within a multilayer insulation structure with minimal thermal performance degradation. Metalized spacers create electrical continuity through layers and may have only a single layer connecting to chassis ground. Multiple spacers can be utilized for larger blankets for grounding redundancy. Thermal performance penalty can be orders of magnitude smaller than conventional techniques.