The world's first spacecraft component charging effect simulation electron accelerator has recently passed the technology acceptance testing. The accelerator has been developed by the Department of Nuclear Technology Application of the China Institute of Atomic Energy under the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) for the National Space Science Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
The accelerator can provide radiation resistance testing and evaluation and other critical technological supports for the research and development of China's high-reliability aerospace products, which will fill the gap in this type of devices at home and abroad.
The electron accelerator can simulate the high-energy electronic environment encountered by satellites in medium and high Earth orbits. It can be used to test and evaluate the possible internal charging and discharging risks of satellite components or on-board stand-alone equipment, as well as the effects of protective design measures taken.
The accelerator features wide energy adjustment range, low beam intensity, large adjustment range, large irradiation area, and good uniformity. The high-quality electron beam it provides completely covers the severest high-energy electron environment of the Middle Earth Orbit (MEO) and the Geostationary Orbit (GEO).
The acceptance group was composed of relevant experts from the Institute of High Energy Physics of CAS, Peking University and the National Space Science Center of CAS.