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The Combined 2 Phase Loop Experiment (COM2PLEX) is a SPACEHAB rooftop test facility to investigate the 0-g behavior of three different capillary-pumped loops. A flawless operation of these devices under actual space environment is an essential precondition for successful applications of this technology in future space projects. Four European companies have developed COM2PLEX in a co-operative effort under contract to ESA/ESTEC. All capillary pumped loops are of the Loop-Heat-Pipe type. The hardware shall be flown on STS 107, scheduled for launch in March 2001. At the time of writing this paper all loops are in manufacturing or under acceptance testing.

In the frame of an ESA technology program, the development of a High Capacity Grooved Heat Pipe (HGP), based on the thermal requirements of the next generation of telecommunication satellites, was contracted to SABCA. Different promising concepts and methods of groove technology were reviewed. A trade-off and design study was performed on potential HGP concepts, taking into account theoretical performances (on earth and in micro-gravity), ease of manufacturing and of assembly as well as the heat pipe working reliability and priming capability. The two finally selected concepts were aluminium extruded heat pipes (outer diameter of 25 mm, vapour core diameter of 15 mm), based on a multi re-entrant grooves concept or on a mixed rectangular/re-entrant grooves concept.