Design of the mechanical housing for the LCI energetic particle instrumentation package in a Medium Earth Orbit

摘要

A mechanical housing design is developed to ensure the survival of electronics and optimize the performance of solid state detectors orbiting through the Van Allen radiation belts. This design is part of the Loss Cone Imager on board the AFRL's DSX satellite and consists of three mechanically separate units: Fixed Sensor Head; High Sensitivity Telescope; and Central Electronics Unit. These units need to withstand the vibrations and shocks associated with launch as well as provide shielding to highly energetic radiation and micrometeorite impacts. To obtain optimal performance from the detectors and high reliability from the electronics thermal restrictions are incorporated into the mechanical designs.