- Plasma Contactor
Plasma contactors are devices used on
spacecraft in order to prevent accumulation ofelectrostatic charge through the expulsion of plasma (oftenXenon ).An electrical
contactor is an electrically controlled switch which closes a power or high voltageelectrical circuit . A plasma contactor changes the electrically insulating vacuum into a conductor by providing movable electrons and positive gas ions. This conductive path closes aphantom loop circuit to discharge or neutralize thestatic electricity that can build up on a spacecraft.Space contains regions with varying concentrations of charged particles such as the plasma sheet, and a static charge builds up as the spacecraft moves between these regions, or as the electrical potential varies within such a region.
Static electricity may also build up on a spacecraft as a result of space
radiation , including sunlight, depending on the materials used on the surfaces of the spacecraft.A plasma contactor is mounted on the Z1 segment of the
International Space Station Integrated Truss Structure .References
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