Response of MoS₂-Sb₂O₃ film to low-earth-orbit space environment

Many failures and anomalies of spacecrafts originated from space environmental factors. Meanwhile, MoS₂ based films have been widely used in space technology as solid lubricants. In this paper, the compact MoS₂-Sb₂O₃ composite film was rf-sputtered and exposed in low earth orbit (LEO) environment, which was aboard the exterior of Shenzhou-7 Manned Spaceship (SZMS-7). The results revealed that the space exposure effect on MoS₂-Sb₂O₃ composite film mainly exhibited the oxidation at the film surface layer less than 3.5 nm. No severe oxidation and cracking phenomena were observed from the space-exposed MoS₂-Sb₂O₃ composite film, which was normal for many space materials. Namely, the MoS₂-Sb₂O₃ composite film exhibited a better capability resistant to LEO space environment.