General information

• Investigation area

  Other
• Techniques

  Outgassing testing
  
• Manufacturer

  DLR Bremen
• Fabrication year

  1996
• Measured quantity

  Total Mass Loss, (TML), Recovered Mass Loss (RML), Collected Volatile Condensable Material (CVCM)
• Main application

  The micro-VCM facility is responsible for the implementation of outgassing tests in accordance with the ESA Standard ECSS-Q-ST-70-02C, 'thermal vacuum outgassing test for the screening of space materials'.
• In-situ, real-time compatible

  Yes
• Correlated workflow available

  Yes

Instrument specification

• Technical aspects

  All materials outgas as soon as they are exposed to a vacuum. Outgassing greatly depends on the material and its conditioning, the operating temperature and the time spent in vacuum. For space applications, outgassing can lead to serious problems, particularly when part of the released gas condenses onto an adjacent surface. The qualification of all materials used with regard to outgassing is therefore of utmost importance when developing hardware for use in space. This also applies to materials that are used in vacuum facilities for testing flight hardware, and which could lead to contaminations before the start of the actual mission.

  The micro-VCM facility is responsible for the implementation of outgassing tests in accordance with the ESA Standard ECSS-Q-ST-70-02C, 'thermal vacuum outgassing test for the screening of space materials'. The test determines three outgassing parameters, which are often used when selecting materials for space applications:

  TML (Total Mass Loss): The percentage of mass loss in a sample after exactly 24 hours in a high vacuum at a temperature of 125 °C. The sample is first stored for 24 hours at 55 % rH (relative humidity) and 22 °C.   

  RML (Recovered Mass Loss): The percentage of mass loss in a sample material after exactly 24 hours in a high vacuum at a temperature of 125 °C, and a post-conditioning of 24 hours at 55 % rH and 22 °C.

  CVCM (Collected Volatile Condensable Material): The percentage mass of a contaminant on the collector plate (temperature of 25 °C) positioned above a sample after exactly 24 hours in a high vacuum.

  The ESA Standard establishes the following requirements for the selection of materials for general use in space: RML < 1.00 % and CVCM < 0.01 %. NASA Standards often require: TML < 1.00 % and CVCM < 0.01 %.

  The micro-VCM facility has been accredited by the German accreditation body DAkkS for applied testing procedures in accordance with DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025:2005.

• In-situ capabilities

  Temperatures, vacuum
• Correlated workflow

  IR transmission measurements of the contaminant are available upon request.
• Additional measurement possibilities

  Also check https://www.dlr.de/irs/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-11374/ for all test facilites of the Institute of Space Systems of the DLR Bremen.

Contact

• Application scientist

  Andreas Witzke
  -- , DLR
  Institute of Space Systems
  Phone number +49 421 24420 1264
  andreas.witzkeprotect me ?!dlrprotect me ?!.de
• Principal investigator

  Andreas Witzke
  

Instrument location

• Group

  Institute of Space Systems
• Faculty

  Fachbereich 4
• Institute

  DLR