On-orbit Reducer of Contamination Apparatus (ORCA)

NewBridge Partners proposed innovative solution, on-orbit reducer of contamination apparatus (ORCA), provides a straightforward, highly reliable mechanism for precision cleaning of spacecraft surfaces once in orbit. Controlling molecular contaminants minimizes performance degradation caused by the deposition of molecular contaminants on mirrors, optical sensors and critical surfaces. For space optical sensors, contamination effects include transmission reduction, off-axis radiation scattering due to particle clouds, and an increase in mirror scattering. Minimizing contamination plays a critical role in maintaining performance and reliability as well as improving the cost-effectiveness of mission results. Data has shown that there is significant contamination post thermal-vacuum testing through launch and on-orbit operations, which necessitates the importance of doing this in orbit. The innovation possesses all the attributes necessary for ready adoption in space, once validated. It is inherently space-qualified with ultra-high reliability. ORCA combines proven high-performance contamination control methods with a high reliability space mechanism in a new and innovative manner. Although it presents an obvious single point of failure in space, its design is no different from other deployment mechanisms that also inherently feature single point failures. We believe a straightforward qualification effort could be undertaken to ensure successful use in space for the most demanding missions. The flexible design and low cost of this approach make it suitable for a wide range of applications.