The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 11, 1989
Filed:
Mar. 28, 1988
Robert J Champetier, Torrance, CA (US);
Hughes Aircraft Company, Los Angeles, CA (US);
Abstract
Method and apparatus are disclosed for automatically and remotely removing unwanted organic films from surfaces of vehicles and satellites in space. A particle beam generator (12) draws molecular oxygen from an on-board supply chamber (14) and develops a stream of positively charged oxygen ions (40). These ions are directed towards a surface or component of a spacecraft such as a solar cell, radiation emission aperture, or sensor objective lens (44) which has been coated by an opacifying, organic contaminant layer (42) that impairs the efficacy of the spacecraft. The ions (40) bombard the contaminant layer (42) and remove it by both kinetic interaction and chemical oxidation. Spacecraft surfaces and components may be restored and renewed to their original operational capabilities through this method of volatilizing debilitating occluding residues which have been hardened by solar radiation away from the spacecraft as harmless gases (50).