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Heat pipes, loop heat pipes and capillary pumped loops are heat transfer devices driven by capillary forces with high-effectiveness & performance, offering high-reliability & flexibility in varying g-environments. They are suitable for spacecraft thermal control where the mass, volume, and power budgets are very limited. The Canadian Space Agency is developing loop heat pipe hardware aimed at understanding the thermal performance of two-phase heat transfer devices and in developing numerical simulation techniques using thermo-hydraulic mathematical models, to enable development of novel thermal control technologies. This loop heat pipe consists of a cylindrical evaporator, compensation chamber, condenser along with vapor and liquid lines, which can be easily assembled/disassembled for test purposes. This laboratory setup is especially designed to enable the visualization of fluid flow and phase change phenomena.

This paper presents experimental results regarding a new approach to smart radiator devices (SRD) employing a smart, integrated thin-film structure based on V1-x-yMxNyOn that can be applied to existing thermal blankets such as Kapton or to thermal radiators such as Al. The smart coating facilitates thermal control by dynamically modifying the thermo-optic characteristics of the underlying substrate in response to the ambient temperature and/or a control voltage. This methodology has significant advantages over competitive technologies in terms of weight, cost, structural simplicity, and integration with the space structure. The effective emissivity of the film/substrate structure can be reduced dynamically by changing the behavior of the smart coating from insulator to metallic. High quality VO2 films have been prepared using a hybrid reactive laser ablation technique.

This paper discusses the Inukshuk landed rover mission to Mars that is currently undergoing the Phase 0 mission study for the Canadian Space Agency. The Inukshuk landed rover mission addresses key science themes for planetary exploration; focusing on the search for hydrated mineralogy and subsurface water sites that can provide evidence of past or present life. New exploration and science will be accomplished using an innovative tethered combination of a small rover and a self-elevating sky-cam aerostat. The elevating visible (VIS) imager, at about 10 m altitude, will provide an informative high-resolution 2-D view of the rover below and surrounding terrain to greatly assist the semi-autonomous navigation of the rover around obstacles and selection of sites for detailed subsurface exploration.

MPB has developed advanced smart radiator devices (SRDs) for passive, dynamic thermal control of space structures and payloads. The SRDs employ a nano-engineered, integrated thin-film structure based on V1-x-yMxNyOn. Dopants, M and N, tailor the transition temperature characteristics of the tuneable IR emittance. This paper describes the progress in MPB's smart thermal radiator towards its validation as an efficient thermal control device for space environment. A set of environmental tests were performed in order to validate the coating resistance and performance stability in space. The tests included random vibration, thermal shock, and accelerated aging. In addition, the thermo-optic characteristics after exposure to Atomic Oxygen (AO) in a simulated LEO environment were similar to the “as deposited” characteristics. Preliminary radiation tests, comparable to 3 years in a GEO environment, indicate very low change in emissivity and solar absorptance relative to the initial values.

MPB has developed advanced technologies based on smart radiator thin-film tiles (SRTs) employing V1−x−yMxNyOn, for the passive dynamic thermal control of space structures and payloads. The SRT has passed successfully the major ground tests and validated its performance for extended use in the harsh space environment, with a target of up to 15 years GEO, in preparation for a flight demonstration of this technology This paper describes the optimization of MPB's smart radiator and its validation of an efficient thermal control with the tuneability of thermo-optical properties. The thermal control of satellites is a critical subsystem that impacts on the performance and longevity of space payloads. MPB has developed advanced smart radiator devices (SRDs) for passive, dynamic thermal control of space structures and payload. The SRDs employ a nano-engineered, thin-film structure based on V1−x−yMxNyOn. Dopants, M and N, tailor the transition temperature of the IR emittance.

MPB has developed advanced technologies based on smart radiator devices with thin-film tiles (SRDs) employing V1-x-yMxNyOn, for the passive dynamic thermal control of space structures and payloads. M and N dopants tailor the transition temperature characteristics of the tuneable IR emittance. The SRD has successfully passed major ground tests and validated its performance for extended use in the harsh space environment, with a target of up to 15 years GEO, in preparation for a flight demonstration of the technology [1]. This paper describes the optimization and validation of the SRD as an efficient thermal control system with tuneable thermo-optical properties for a microsat mission. The optimization involves tailoring the transition temperature characteristics of the tuneable IR emittance to near room temperature by using Tungsten-doped Vanadium targets for the deposition of V1-xWxOn.

This paper describes a new approach to spacecraft thermal control based on a passive thin-film smart radiator device (SRD) that employs a variable heat-transfer/emitter structure. The SRD employs an integrated thin-film structure based on V1-x-yMxNyOn that can be applied to existing Al thermal radiators. The SRD operates passively in response to changes in the temperature of the space structure. The V1-x-yMxNyOn exhibits a metal/insulator transition with temperature, varying from an IR transmissive insulating state at lower temperatures, to a semiconducting state at higher temperatures. Dopants, M and N, are employed to tailor the thermo-optic characteristics and the transition temperature of the passive SRD. The transition temperature can be preset over a wide range from below -30°C to above 68°C using suitable dopants. A proprietary SRD structure has been developed that facilitates emissivities below 0.2 to dark space at lower temperatures to reduce heater requirements.

The paper addresses the thermal control of a lunar lander/rover by use of heat pumps enabling payload heat to be rejected at a higher temperature to the lunar day environment. The heat pump technologies considered include absorption, vapor compression, adsorption, hybrid and chemical heat pumps technologies. A trade-off of the various heat pump technologies for a 2kW payload cooling capability is presented based on the needs of space-based hardware in terms of low mass and power, high performance, reliability and compactness of the systems. Finally the selection of a novel variant of the chemical heat pump concept is presented as a promising technology to be further investigated through breadboard development.

The Phoenix Mars Lander is scheduled to be launched in August 2007 and will land in the northern Vastitas Borealis region. The lander is equipped with a suite of instruments designed to investigate the mineralogy and geochemistry of the soil and to study the atmosphere. The Canadian Meteorological Instrument (MET) will measure the location and the extent of clouds and the distribution of scatterers in the atmosphere as well as measuring the air temperature and the barometric pressure. The MET will provide Canadian scientists with a unique opportunity to study the Martian atmosphere and enhance our understanding of the planet in key areas of Canadian expertise. The MET instrument is composed of multiple elements in order to fulfil the science objectives. The MET Light Imaging Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) will probe the atmosphere by sending out laser pulses and measuring the backscattered returns.

This paper describes the thermal design, analysis and test of a Microgravity Vibration Isolation System (MVIS) that will ensure the active isolation of the European Space Agency’s Fluid Science Laboratory (FSL) payload from vibration induced by the International Space Station (ISS) structure. The FSL is equipped with optical and electronic devices that are very sensitive to vibration, thermal distortion, temperature change and Electro Magnetic Interference (EMI). The MVIS has to provide a vibration attenuation of −40dB within the range of 0.1–100Hz without inducing thermal or electromagnetic interferences. The sensitive FSL instruments are mounted in a floating structure called the Facility Core Element (FCE), whereas the rest of the FSL electronics, mechanics and cooling systems are fixed to the International Standard Payload Rack (ISPR).

This paper describes recent advances in MPB's approach to spacecraft thermal control based on a passive thin-film smart radiator tile (SRT) that employs a variable heat-transfer/emitter structure. This can be applied to Al thermal radiators as a direct replacement for the existing OSR (optical second-reflector) radiator tiles with a net added mass under 100 gm/m2. The SRT employs a smart, integrated thin-film structure based on the nano-engineering of V1-x-yMxNyOn that facilitates thermal control by dynamically modifying the net infrared emittance passively in response to the temperature of the space structure. Dopants, M and N, are employed to tailor the transition temperature characteristics of the tuneable IR emittance. This facilitates thermal emissivities below 0.3 to dark space at lower temperatures that enhance the self-heating of the spacecraft to reduce heater requirements.

The thermal control of lunar landers/rovers necessitates the use of a system to allow heat rejection to the high temperature lunar environment. In this context a vapour compression heat pump which is a proven technology in terrestrial and aeronautical applications has been studied; its suitability in providing 2 kW cooling capability with adequate temperature lift for final heat rejection by space radiators is assessed. The stringent requirements of space-based hardware in terms of temperature lift, compactness, mass, performance and reliability necessitates optimization studies. Mass optimization of the heat pump components has been carried out, as well as selection of refrigerants and thermodynamic cycles most suited for the application.