Several numerical codes aiming at calculating spacecraft plasma interactions have been developed over the world. They generally calculate plasma dynamics, current emission/collection on spacecraft and spacecraft charging. Among these codes, SPIS and MUSCAT have been developed by ONERA/DESP and KIT respectively. SPIS, the Spacecraft Plasma Interaction Software, has been developed with ESA support and ameliorated via several CNES R&T contracts so as to provide the community with an opensource

more »

... ware dedicated to the environment effect on satellites. The numerical core and the user interface have been developed by ONERA and ARTENUM respectively [1]. The effect of in-orbit plasma on spacecraft has been modelled in a wide range of configurations: electric propulsion [2], GEO charging, barrier of potential [1]. The ONERA plasma chamber JONAS has also been simulated and the results compared to experiments [3]. SPIS also takes account of all phenomena involved in ESD triggering. It has permitted to confirm a physical model of ESD triggering [4] by numerical simulations [5]. MUSCAT, the Multi-Utility Spacecraft Charging Analysis Tool, has been in development since 2004 and the final version was released in March 2007 [6]. The comparison to experiments has also been achieved in a wide range of configurations [7].