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Overview
Choosing the right types of lamps and lighting is crucial for applications in space. The extreme environments of space place demanding requirements on lighting equipment with regards to factors like power consumption, heat dissipation, durability, and light quality. This article provides an overview of different lamp types and recommendations for their use in space-based settings.
Key Criteria for Space Lighting
When selecting lamps and luminaires for use in space applications, some key criteria to consider include:
- Power consumption – Spacecraft have limited power budgets, so efficiency is paramount
- Thermal output – Heat dissipation can be challenging in space, so lamp types with lower thermal output are preferred
- Durability – Vibration, radiation, temperature extremes and more mean space lighting must be extremely durable
- Light quality – Good color rendering and light distribution may be needed depending on the application
Common Lamp Types
LEDs
LEDs or light-emitting diodes are becoming the preferred choice for many space lighting applications.
Advantages
- Extremely high luminous efficacy – more light with less power
- Long lifetimes up to 50,000+ hours
- Low heat output
- Durable and shock/vibration resistant
Applications
- General illumination inside spacecraft
- Indicator lights on instrument panels
- Lighting vegetation growth chambers
Fluorescent
Fluorescent lamps see some usage but have major drawbacks for spacecraft use.
Disadvantages
- Short lifetime
- Large size and fragility
- Requires high-voltage to initially strike arc
Applications
- Legacy lighting systems
- Backup or supplementary lighting
Incandescent
Incandescent lamps see extremely limited usage in space applications due to severe disadvantages.
Disadvantages
- Very low efficacy
- Large thermal output
- Short lifetime
- Susceptible to vibration failures
Applications
- Temporary backups
- Thermal sources when light itself not needed
Conclusion
LED technology provides the best overall performance for most space-based lighting needs. Fluorescent or incandescent lamps may serve specialized purposes but generally suffer too many drawbacks for extended spacecraft use. Careful specification of parameters like luminosity, beam angle, color temperature, and input power is needed to select optimal LED luminaires. With their unparalleled advantages for space, LEDs will continue increasing their share as the primary light source above the Earth.
