Analysis of the effect of Hall thruster plumes on surface charging of a complex spacecraft structure

This article aims to conduct an in-depth investigation into the environmental impact of Hall thruster plumes on spacecraft surface charging, with a particular focus on the surface charging phenomena induced by thrusters at different locations on complex spacecraft structures. The non-uniform plasma plume generated by Hall thrusters may trigger charging and discharging effects, making the assessment of surface charging risks crucial. Through numerical simulations using SPIS software, this study evaluates the surface charging characteristics of complex spacecraft in orbit and examines the influence of thrusters in different states and positions on surface charging. The simulation results demonstrate a significant impact of the plume on spacecraft charging, reducing the potential difference between spacecraft surfaces from 3740V to 19.2V, effectively alleviating electrostatic discharge on the spacecraft surface. The closer the thruster is to the spacecraft, the more CEX ions are collected on the surface, influenced by the beam ions, resulting in a surface potential change of 1.3V, with minor effects on surface potential but contributing to increased deposition contamination on the spacecraft surface.