Space Systems/loral, LLC

Susan Sebata

Lenny Low

A spacecraft heat dissipation method, and a spacecraft having an improved thermal radiator system that uses two-sided deployable thermal radiators that dissipates heat from both front and back surfaces thereof. The use of the two-sided deployable thermal radiators enables the thermal radiator system to have approximately 50% more heat dissipating capability than a system with just one surface exposed to dissipate heat. The spacecraft includes a body, one or more solar arrays, and the present radiator system which comprises opposite facing fixed payload radiators that are thermally coupled to selected ones of the deployable radiators by way of heat pipes. In an exemplary method a spacecraft is configured to have a body, one or more solar arrays opposite facing fixed payload radiators, and one or more two-sided deployable radiators selectively coupled to the fixed payload radiators. The spacecraft is launched into orbit. When in orbit, heat coupled to the opposite facing fixed payload radiators is transferred to the two-sided deployable radiators for radiation into space from both sides thereof.

Two-sided deployable thermal radiator system and method

A spacecraft, along with a spacecraft radiator system and spacecraft heat dissipation method are disclosed. The spacecraft comprises a body, a plurality of solar arrays, and the spacecraft radiator system. The spacecraft radiator system comprises first and second opposite facing payload radiators, first and second opposite facing deployable radiators, and one or more coupling or loop heat pipes cross coupling opposite facing payload and deployable radiators so that they function in tandem. By cross-coupling the opposite facing payload and deployable radiators, one of the two radiators acting in tandem is always in the shade during solstice seasons. Consequently, the solar load processed by the radiator system is minimized, thereby, increasing the thermal dissipation capability of the radiator system by approximately 15%.

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Susan Sebata