METHOD TO CONTROL TIGHTNESS OF SPACECRAFT BODY IN VACUUM Russian patent published in 2013 - IPC G01M3/00 B64G99/00 

FIELD: measurement equipment.

SUBSTANCE: air pressure is created inside a spacecraft body, and the conclusion is made on availability of local untightness using sensitive medium. The sensitive medium is represented by indicator discrete particles sent with a specified pitch along the surface of its body and changing their trajectories under action of the gas flow from the leak. Deviation in positions of impact sites of these particles is measured as they strike against a sensitive target-screen installed at the specified angle for their reflection into a trap. And sensitivity of measurements is controlled by variation of initial speeds of indicator discrete particles and distance between the source sending indicator discrete particles and the target screen.

EFFECT: simplified diagnostics of spacecraft body untightness, its higher accuracy and reduced time for searching for a leak point.

2 dwg