Space Systems and Their Interactions with Earth’s Space Environment

The intent of this volume is to serve as a reference source for spacecraft engineers and for space scientists working on environmental questions related to these systems and on the Space Transportation System itself. The volume is organized into five topical areas including: the effects of space operations on the Earth's environment; the effects of spacecraft charging on space systems; the effects of space radiation on spacecraft systems; the interactions between the space environment and large dimension, high-power spacecraft; and the effects of the environment on the structural integrity of space vehicles. Each topical area is introduced by a review paper that is followed by specific technical papers. It should be noted that, as recently as 1975, many of the effects considered were not known or were considered to be of no practical interest.