The performance team should benchmark each release and ensure that the performance of critical areas does not degrade from one release to the next.

But safety rules prohibit the ships from remaining in space for more than 200 days, since their batteries can lose power and corrosive thruster fuel can degrade rubberized seals.

Oils and salts from the skin can degrade insulator performance, and contaminants in the air can be deposited on the insulator surface, reducing its resistance.