Electromagnetic Shielding Effectiveness of CFRP Panels, MLI, and RF Screens for Spacecraft Applications

In this study, the electromagnetic shielding effectiveness of the composite panels, MLI, and RF screens used in spacecraft has been examined. CFRP panels and MLI are not used for electromagnetic shielding; however, they can have an additional shielding performance depending on the constituent material and applicable shape. To analyze the electromagnetic compatibility at the satellite level, it is necessary to evaluate the degree of shielding characteristics of the spacecraft panel and exterior material. In this context, the shielding characteristics of the actual satellite configuration must be taken into consideration. Therefore, to check the shielding characteristics at the satellite level, the shielding effectiveness of the structural panel and applied materials was measured using the free space method in the EMC chamber. It was measured under the condition that the periphery of the measurement object was not covered with a metal wall. The results of the experiment confirmed that the CFRP panel that included MLI could provide a shielding effectiveness of 10 to 30 dB in the frequency band of 2 GHz to 8 GHz and approximately 20 dB in even the low frequency band.