LEO atomic oxygen measurements: experiment design and preliminary results

Recently two University of Southampton flight experiments intended to measure the LEO atomic oxygen (AO) flux or fluence have been launched. The first forms part of the Southampton Transient Oxygen and Radiation Monitor (STORM) instrument package that is included as part of the European Materials Exposure and Degradation Experiment on EuTEF (MEDET) module now residing on the external pay load facility of the Columbus laboratory on the International Space Station (ISS). The atomic oxygen detectors on STORM comprise screen-printed thick films of a carbon-polymer resistive ink and also thin sputtered films of zinc oxide. The second is a relatively simple experiment package comprising thick-film carbon-polymer sensors similar to those on STORM; this experiment is currently being flown on the Canadian CanX-2 nano-satellite mission. The design and mode of operation of both types of AO sensor will be described and the current status of both of these experiments will be reviewed