The  space environment effects threatening spacecraft safety and reliability  can be cataloged as radiation effects like total ionizing dose effect,  displacement damage effect and single event effects, surface and  internal or deep charging and discharging, damage and erosion by micro  debris and atomic oxygen. Thus the main research fields on SEE in SEELab  are established as followings.

1.        Space Radiation Effects

Study  distribution characters and evolution rules of high energy particles  encountered by man-made spacecraft, which including earth radiation  belts, solar cosmic rays, galaxy cosmic rays, local high energy  particles around planets in deep space, and high altitude atmosphere  neutrons etc. Apply and develop the engineering models of these space  radiation environments.

Investigate  effects of space radiation particles on components, materials,  astronauts, like total ionizing dose effects, single event effects,  displacement damage, solar cell radiation damage, biology radiation  effects.

2.        Spacecraft Charging & Discharging

Study  charging correlated environments and the models, such as injected  energetic particles from geomagnetic substorm, precipitated particles  during auroral event, low energy and high density ionosphere plasma in  LEO region, enhanced high energy electrons in out radiation belt, as  well as charging environments around certain planets in deep space.

Investigate  effects as result of charge transfer and exchange between space  environments and space-born materials. In detail, the effects include  surface charging on exposed spacecraft materials, dielectric or  spacecraft internal charging by high energy electrons, current leakage  and arc discharging of high voltage solar cell arrays in dense plasma.  Furthermore, discharge induced ESD and its effects on component and  circuit, protection guideline and technique on charging &  discharging also investigated.

3.        Damage and Erosion of Exposed Materials

Study  environments exposed onto outer materials of spacecraft and their  engineering models, which comprise micro debris, atomic oxygen in LEO,  solar UV radiation, and low energy electron and proton. Investigate  effects of mechanical damage, chemical erosion, performance degradation  of the materials, and the consequent influence on thermal control  system, solar cell arrays, and optical sensors onboard spacecraft.