Demonstration of a plug-and-play approach to spacecraft thermal control system design

The thermal demands placed on interplanetary probes and rovers can vary wildly throughout the course of a given mission. As the electronics and other equipment on these rovers become more sophisticated, heat dissipation and thermal control become more of an issue. Further complicating the thermal control problem is the fact that the mission may not place the rover or probe in a location with a constant view of deep space, which would be the lowest temperature heat sink and would provide the best heat rejection potential. Mainstream Engineering, working with the Goddard Space Flight Center, has developed a high-lift heat pump capable of operating in microgravity that would allow the heat generated by electronic components or other subsystems to be radiated directly to the surface of a planet or moon in situations where there is no view of deep space. Performance data is presented for a prototype high-lift system for these applications. Also discussed is the potential for a reduction in the overall system mass for applications in which a high heat rejection temperature is not required. Ultimately, specialized active thermal control systems such as this one will allow a far greater range of missions and destinations for unmanned space vehicles.