In LEO orbits, the interaction of the spacecraft surfaces with the ambient molecules leads to phenomen known as glow. It creates a light contamination in some areas of the spacecraft which is a problem for missions with optical instruments. Glow creates a noice on the measured signal.
clear all;clc; h = 200; %[km] Altitude, Circular orbit % The brightness of the glow B = 10^(7 - 0.0129*h); %[Rayleigh] fprintf('The brightness of the glow %4.2f [Rayleigh]\n',B);
The brightness of the glow 26302.68 [Rayleigh]
Small Satellites 