The Effect of Spaceflight on the Critical Current Density of YBa2Cu3O7-x Thick Films

Screen-printed thick films of the YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x high-temperature superconductor were integrated into hybrid microelectronics circuits and characterized on orbit as part of the Materials In Devices A s Superconductors (MIDAS) spaceflight experiment. The experiment operated autonomously for 90 days on the Mir space station and acquired electrical data on the superconductive films at temperatures ranging from 250 to 75K. This report describes the on-orbit critical current density, J c , performance of the YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x thick films and compares the flight data with those obtained during pre-and post-flight testing. The results of this investigation show no significant difference between the spaceflight and ground data, indicating that no degradation occurred in the superconductive films due to either vibrational loads experienced during launch or continuous operation in a microgravity environment.