DEVELOPMENT OF SPACE-STABLE THERMAL CONTROL COATINGS FOR USE ON LARGE SPACE VEHICLES

摘要

Early in the history of Space Technology, space vehicle de signers recognized the importance of thermal control. The performance or function of temperature-sensitive components, if per mitted to transgress their individual operating temperature limits, might seriously jeopardize a vehicles mission. Approaches to effective temperature control involve primarily both materials se lection, and systems considerations. In the materials approach the absorption of solar energy is determined, as is the thermal emission, by the radiative properties of the surface of materials selected. The latter approaches, in general, accomplish temperature control by optimum location of components with respect to one another and to the solar vector. Overall thermal control is achieved.