Measurement of leakage currents and quasi-stationary electric field in the surface area of the ISS RS in the Earth's ionosphere

The paper presents the results of analysis of electrical measurements performed in the space experiment «Impulse (stage 1)» on the Service module of the ISS RS. This experiment investigated the effects of the interaction of the charged component of the ionosphere to the surface of large spacecraft, which is the ISS. This paper analyses the measurement of quasi-stationary electric field and current leakage, was, respectively, sensors of the vibration type and flat probes from the Complex control electrophysical parameters, developed by NPO IT. To study the dependence of measurements from the ionosphere flow direction to the surface of the ISS RS was installed two sets of sensors with the direction of the angle of «visibility» in the Nadir (towards the Earth) and to «satellite footprint» (against the velocity vector of the ISS). Carried out analysis of common regularities measurements depending on the sun-shadow environment on orbit ISS motions and depending on current geophysical dynamics of the ionosphere. Massive the measurements including more than 170 telemetric sessions were analyzed. More than 11000 hours of measurements current of leakage (or runoff current) and measurements of quasi-stationary electric field with discretization 1 s and UT binding to each point were analyzed. The data measurements, geophysical and orbital data were collected in an electronic album. It is shown that experimental data correlate with the crossing time of the ISS boundaries known geophysical structures: the noon Meridian, the Main ionospheric failure, the boundaries diffuse intrusion, the Equatorial Geomagnetic anomaly. In this regard, despite the specificity of the ISS (the spacecraft super big sizes, the most complex spatial configuration) similar measurements, nevertheless, are quite suitable for monitoring researches of some features of an ionosphere at the level of F2 layer with a temporary scale from 1 s and can be used for more detailed study of the geophysical structures and related effects in the ionosphere. In addition, the results obtained can be used for the analysis of disturbances of electromagnetic conditions near the surface of the ISS RS, for monitoring potential and currents of leakage on the surface of the ISS.