Fundamentals of Contamination Control

Excerpt

This text provides a comprehensive introduction to the subject of contamination control, with specific applications to the aerospace industry. It is intended to provide insight on methods to (a) quantify the cleanliness level required by various contamination sensitive surfaces, (b) predict the end of life contamination level seen by those surfaces, and (c) identify the contamination control techniques required to ensure mission success. This document has evolved from NASA-CR-4740, Contamination Control Engineering Design Guidelines for the Aerospace Community, which was developed under contract to the NASA Space Environments & Effects (SEE) Program. The NASA SEE Program Office has graciously approved the republication of NASA-CR-4740 by the International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE). The material presented here has been updated to reflect the latest developments and also includes explicit examples of how the various concepts are applied.

The lessons learned here are based on many years' experience as a practicing contamination control engineer and teacher. They are intended to provide practical solutions that will lead to a viable design, while minimizing cost and schedule impacts. As with any undertaking of this nature, the final product reflects the contributions of many individuals. Deserving special mention are Dr. James Haffner, my mentor during the early days at Rockwell International's Satellite and Space Electronics Division; Mr. John Davis, my tutor on the finer points of sensor design; and Dr. Philip Chen of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, who helped guide the original NASA report to a successful conclusion. Last but not least, I want to acknowledge SPIE itself for recognizing the importance of this topic and wishing to see it made available to a broader audience.

Alan C. Tribble

June 2000