METHOD OF CONTROLLING CONTAMINANTS OF SPACECRAFT SURFACE ELEMENTS BROUGHT ABOUT BY LOW-THRUST ROCKET ENGINE OPERATION AND DEVICE TO THIS END Russian patent published in 2010 - IPC B64G1/52 

FIELD: transport.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to aerospace engineering and can be used for efficient protection of whatever spacecraft against contaminants produced by incomplete combustion of rocket fuel. Proposed method proceeds from ejection of contaminants by gas flow formed by coaxial protective screens covering engine nozzle and their collection. Contaminants are collected on the tray arranged nearby outer protective screen edge in the engine jet peripheral zone. Contaminants are fixed on control plate and tray fixing elements, as well as on the other similar trays arranged at selected points of spacecraft surface. Note here that contaminant parametres are selectively converted in electrical signals to be sent to the Earth via onboard telemetry system. Proposed device comprises said protective screens, trays and selective piezoelectric transducers arranged on trays located on spacecraft surfaces for contamination control purposes. Outputs of said transducers are connected to inputs of standard onboard telemetry system.

EFFECT: higher reliability and fast operation of contamination control system.

2 cl, 4 dwg