India has engraved its name in space history by landing at the South Pole of the Moon. A question must have come in the mind of all of you, why is this golden layer applied to spacecraft? You must have seen gold everywhere on Chandrayaan 3. There is gold on the lander and also on the rover. But why is there this round layer and what is its function?
This gold-looking layer is MLI which we call multi-layer insulation. The golden layer that we see in front is made of polyimide film and from the inside, it is made of multiple layers of aluminium. Science experts believe that this layer protects the equipment from sunlight and heat. Actually, during the journey from Earth to space, the temperature changes rapidly and in such a situation the equipment installed in the spacecraft may get damaged or shut down. This golden layer protects the devices from heating.
Spacecraft passing by the Sun require gold layers because the temperatures there are extremely high, making it difficult to protect the equipment inside the craft. The golden layers help trap the heat from this high temperature and help keep the spacecraft cool.
The special thing about the sun is that it emits authentic radiation, which is called solar radiation. This radiation can cause damage to spacecraft instruments and electronics. The golden layers help reduce this radiation and keep the spacecraft safe. Space also contains external radiation, such as cosmic radiation and magnetic radiation from the solar wind. The golden layers also protect the spacecraft from this type of radiation and prevent damage to the spacecraft.
The golden layers also come with many other benefits for space missions. One of their benefits is that they keep spacecraft cool. Space has an extremely high average temperature, and the golden layers help reduce this temperature. Without it, the nerves of spacecraft and instruments can get disturbed and their work can come to a standstill.
