The CRRES IDM spacecraft experiment for insulator discharge pulses

The internal discharge monitor (IDM), designed to observe electrical pulses from common electrical insulators in space service, is described. The IDM was flown on the Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellites (CRRES). The 16 insulator samples included G10 circuit boards, FR4 and PTFE fiberglass circuit boards, FEP Teflon, alumina, and wires with common insulations. The samples were fully enclosed and mutually isolated, and space radiation generated 0.02 cm.<
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