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.