Lockheed Martin Corporation

Hamilton Wong

Neil Evan Goodzeit

David J Hentosh

Rok Park Buckley

A heat transfer assembly (HTA) includes an equipment panel having a first longitudinal length and a first radiator panel that is coupled to one of an east end and a west end of the equipment panel. The first radiator panel is longer in the longitudinal direction than the equipment panel and has least one longitudinal heat pipe. The HTA also includes at least one flexible heat pipe having a first rigid tube coupled to the equipment panel, a second rigid tube thermally coupled to the first longitudinal heat pipe, and a flexible tube coupled between the first and second rigid tubes. The equipment panel is configured to retain an equipment module in thermal contact with the first rigid tube.

Spacecraft east-west radiator assembly

A system and apparatus are provided for preventing heat loss in a spacecraft during the upper stage launch phase and transfer orbit. A thermal control panel can be provided that can be positioned adjacent to exposed areas of radiator panels on the spacecraft in a collapsed configuration. The outer surface of the panel can have a high absorptivity, and the inner surface can have a high emissivity. During upper stage launch phase and transfer orbit, the panel can tend to emit heat toward the radiator panels on an inboard side of the spacecraft, thus reducing heat loss from the radiator panels to reduce the need for onboard electronic heaters and thereby preserve battery power for other onboard systems.

Heat generating transfer orbit shield

A heat transfer assembly can include an equipment panel having an east end and a west end. East and west radiator panels are coupled to the east and west ends, respectively, of the equipment panel. The assembly also includes a plurality of flexible heat pipes each having a first rigid tube thermally coupled to the east radiator panel, a second rigid tube coupled to the equipment panel, a third rigid tube thermally coupled to the west radiator panel, a first flexible tube sealingly coupled between the first and second rigid tubes, and a second flexible tube sealingly coupled between the second and third rigid tubes. The equipment panel is configured to retain one or more equipment modules in thermal contact with the second rigid tube of at least one of the plurality of flexible heat pipes.

A geostationary earth orbit (GEO) spacecraft is disclosed that includes a body with north, east, south, and west sides and a north-south axis. The spacecraft has at least one deployable radiator rotatably coupled to the body. The deployable radiator has a stowed position proximate to one of the east and west sides and a deployed position that is greater than 90 degrees from the north-south axis in a direction away from the respective one of the east and west sides.

Deployable radiator having an increased view factor

A deployable radiator arrangement for cooling a geostationary earth orbit spacecraft is provided. In some aspects, the geostationary earth orbit spacecraft may comprise first and second deployable radiators mounted on an east or west surface of the spacecraft when stowed. The first and second deployable radiators are configured to rotate into a north and south facing position, respectively, when deployed. The geostationary earth orbit spacecraft may further comprise first and second fixed radiators disposed on a north and south surface of the spacecraft, respectively. The first and second deployable radiators are thermally coupled to the first and second fixed radiators, respectively.

Non-interfering deployable radiator arrangement for geo spacecraft

A spacecraft battery thermal management system is provided that includes a battery, a first radiator panel and a second radiator panel. A first face of the first radiator panel is arranged to face a first direction and a first face of the second radiator panel is arranged to face a second direction opposite the first direction. A first heat pipe thermally couples the battery and the first radiator panel and is configured to control the transfer of heat between the battery and the first radiator panel. A second heat pipe thermally couples the battery and the second radiator panel and is configured to control the transfer of heat between the battery and the second radiator panel. Solar cells are optionally arranged on the faces of the first and/or second radiator panels.

Spacecraft battery thermal management system

A multi-layer insulation (MLI) blanket with enhanced contamination inhibiting properties and a method for inhibiting the formation of organic residues on the outer surface of a MLI blanket are provided. In one embodiment, a MLI blanket () attachable to a spacecraft or other structure includes a plurality of metallized layers () separated by mesh layers (). An anti-contamination coating () comprised of a photocatalytic material is disposed between a high emittance layer () that overlies the outer surface (A) of the outer metallized layer () and an outer electrically conductive layer (). When exposed to ultraviolet or near-ultraviolet radiation components present in solar radiation, the anti-contamination coating () catalyzes the breakdown of organic residues on the outer surface of the MLI blanket () thereby maintaining the reflective properties of the MLI blanket () and ensuring that solar absorptance of the MLI blanket () is maintained at or below an acceptable threshold level.

Anti-contamination coated multi-layer insulation

A spacecraft instrument thermal control method and system providing scalable thermal control of on-board instrument temperature. Adapted for a spacecraft with bus supporting instrumentation and thermal radiator panels, cooling is carried out by one or more active coolers, such as cryocoolers, each mounted to the spacecraft at a radiator spatially separated from the instrument, with cold side of the cooler being thermally coupled to an instrument focal plane or other instrument location requiring cryogenic cooling and the warm side coupled to the radiator. A closed loop temperature control system measures the temperature of the controlled portion of the instrument, and adjusts active cooler drive signals to maintain a specified set point temperature.

Growing community of inventors

Yardley, PA, United States of America

Hamilton Wong