Space Environment Hazards

Space hazard Spacecraft
charging
Single-event effects Total radiation dose Surface degradation Plasma interference with
communications
Specific cause Surface Internal Cosmic rays Trapped radiation Solar particle Trapped radiation Solar particle Ion
sputtering
O+ erosion Scintil-
lation
Wave refraction
LEO <60o                      
LEO >60o                      
MEO                      
GPS                      
GTO                      
GEO                      
HEO                      
Inter-
planetary
                     

   Important  Relevant  Not applicable  
Space environment hazards for typical orbits. Key: LEO <60o—low Earth orbit, less than 60 degrees inclination; LEO >60o—low Earth orbit, more than 60 degrees inclination; MEO—medium Earth orbit; GPS—Global Positioning System satellite orbit; GTO—geosynchronous transfer orbit; GEO—geosynchronous orbit; HEO—highly elliptical orbit; O+—atomic oxygen.

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