Based on polyimide (PI), epoxy resin (EP), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) typical dielectric materials used in spacecraft, a research platform for charge-discharge experiment under strong field was established. The influence of irradiation field strength, beam energy, dielectric thickness, etc., on electrostatic discharge characters of dielectric materials were studied and summarized. The results show that with the increase of field strength, the frequency of induced electrostatic discharge increases, the accumulated charge on the dielectric surface decreases, and the dielectric surface potential decreases; Under the same conditions, PI has the lowest discharge frequency and the highest surface dynamic balance potential. The thicker the dielectric material, the lower the discharge frequency, the higher the surface dynamic equilibrium potential; The shape and size of the background electrodes also affect the discharge frequency. When the area is the same, the sharper the electrode edge, the higher the discharge frequency. When the shape is the same, the larger the grounding area, the higher the discharge frequency. By proposing the induced discharge test method, the function mechanism of spatial environmental factors on the electrostatic discharge of typical dielectric materials are obtained. Comparative analysis on electrostatic properties of different dielectric materials can provide data reference and technical support for spacecraft electrostatic safety and protection.

In this paper, the electrostatic discharge of solar arrays in spacecraft energy systems is taken as the research object. The influence and internal mechanism of external electromagnetic radiation on electrostatic discharge is studied. Meanwhile, the charging and discharging test platform of spacecraft solar arrays under a strong field is first established. Then, the influence of irradiation field strength, electron beam energy and beam density on electrostatic discharge of solar arrays is analyzed and summarized. The results show that during the irradiation process of solar arrays using a high-energy electron beam under vacuum conditions, the higher the electron beam energy and the beam current density, the higher the discharge frequency of the solar array. When the intensity of the external electromagnetic radiation field increases, the discharge frequency also increases. Under the action of external radiation field with the same peak field strength, the larger the gap, the smaller the discharge frequency. With the increase in the field strength, the potential difference of each part of the solar array becomes smaller, and the peak of the discharge current decreases. The research results can provide technical reference for electrostatic protection of spacecraft solar arrays.

In this paper, the mechanism of electrostatic discharge induced by a strong electromagnetic field was studied through software simulation and test verification. By focusing on the effect mechanism of coupling voltage between metal electrodes to induce electrostatic discharge, we obtained the law of electrostatic discharge induced by the strong electromagnetic field. In the process of electrostatic discharge induced by the strong electromagnetic field, due to the antenna receiving effect of metal electrode structure, the strong electromagnetic field would form coupling induction voltage on the metal electrode. The voltage acts on both ends of the discharge electrode structure and generates an electric field in the gap between the electrode structure, which superimposes on the original field; furthermore, it has an impact on the electrostatic discharge process, resulting in the formation of induced discharge with low charging voltage structure.