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Metals are the most common materials used in space technology. Metalstructures, while used in space, are subjected to the full spectrum of theelectromagnetic radiation together with particle irradiation. Hence, theyundergo degradation. Future space missions are planned to proceed in theinterplanetary space, where the protons of the solar wind play a verydestructive role on metallic surfaces. Unfortunately, their real degradationbehavior is to a great extent unknown.  Our aim is to predict materials' behavior in such a destructive environment.Therefore both, theoretical and experimental studies are performed at theGerman Aerospace Center (DLR) in Bremen, Germany.  Here, we report the theoretical results of those studies. We examine theprocess of H2-bubble formation on metallic surfaces. H2-bubbles are metal capsfilled with Hydrogen molecular gas resulting from recombination processes ofthe metal free electrons and the solar protons. A thermodynamic model of thebubble growth is presented. Our model predicts e.g. the velocity of that growthand the reflectivity of foils populated by bubbles.  Formation of bubbles irreversibly changes the surface quality of irradiatedmetals. Thin metallic films are especially sensitive for such degradationprocesses. They are used e.g. in the solar sail propulsion technology. Theefficiency of that technology depends on the thermo-optical properties of thesail materials. Therefore, bubble formation processes have to be taken intoaccount for the planning of long-term solar sail missions.

Molecular Hydrogen bubbles formation on thin vacuum deposited Aluminum layers after proton irradiation