A time-dependent characterization study was performed on T300/934 graphite/epoxy in a simulated space environment. Creep tests on irradiated and non-irradiated graphite/epoxy and bulk resin specimens were carried out at temperatures of 72 °F and 250 °F. Irradiated specimens were exposed to dosages of penetrating electron radiation equal to 30 years 'exposure at GEO-synchronous orbit. Radiation was shown to have little effect on the creep response of both the composite and bulk resin specimens at 72 °F while radiation had a significant effect at 250 °F. A healing process was shown to be present in the irradiated specimens where broken bonds in the epoxy due to radiation recombined over time to form cross-links in the 934 resin structure. An analytical, micromechanical model was also developed to predict the viscoelastic response of fiber reinforced composite materials.

The model was shown to correlate well with experimental results for linearly viscoelastic materials with relatively small creep strains.