Radiation resistance is crucial for maintaining the cable dielectric and electrical performance in space
Radiation Resistant
Radiation exposure can cause a change in the cable dielectric, degrade electrical performance, and ultimately lead to degradation of the cable jacket, causing foreign object debris (FOD) concern. A cable’s sensitivity to radiation exposure depends on its location. Designers often carefully manage radiation exposures within the satellite bus to protect other components below the exposure limits, even for common coaxial cable plastics. However, one of a cable’s critical roles is to interconnect remote functions, meaning RF cables often must exit the safety of the bus to reach a remote antenna. In these scenarios, radiation resistance can become critical. One method that cable designers have used for radiation resistance is to select radiation-hard materials for the dielectric, such as silicon dioxide (SiO2), which can withstand radiation exposures above 100 MRad.
Related Products
MaxGain® PhaseTrack® Semi-Rigid SiO2 SpaceFlight
MaxGain®
MaxGain® is an ultra-low loss, flexible microwave coaxial cable with a full range of connectors available as fully tested custom cable assemblies.
PhaseTrack®
PhaseTrack® cable assemblies are designed for applications demanding minimal phase change over temperature. All PhaseTrack cables use a proprietary TF4™ dielectric that does not have the abrupt shift in the phase that occurs with solid- or tape-wrapped PTFE-based products under normal room ambient temperature conditions.
Semi-Rigid
Semi-Rigid cable assemblies are optimized for phase performance under harsh enviroments. They are available in sizes commonly used in most in-box applications and are compatible with many connectors.
SiO2
The SiO2 semi-rigid cable assemblies are used in applications demanding the ultimate in phase tracking performance and extreme environments.
SpaceFlight
The SpaceFlight product line embodies the critical requirements necessary for reliable performance in space. Our proprietary material conditioning and vacuum testing of assemblies ensure outgassing is minimized to meet NASA standards ASTM E‐595.
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