Method for the simulation of the external thermal flows absorbed by spacecraft external radiator elements in flight and spacecraft for the application of said method

摘要

The vehicle's exterior panels (10) have a cellular core (10a) sandwiched between thin skins (10b,10c), both core and skins being, typically, of aluminum. Most of the panel exterior (18) is covered by layered thermal insulation (16), comprising numerous foils of an insulating plastic, e.g. Kapton (RTM). Windows (20) are left in this covering to permit the item fixed to the panel's interior skin (14). A radiating element (22) covers each window area, extending slightly under the window edges; this radiates out most of the infra-red range heat generated and reflects most of the incoming solar and terrestrial heat. It comprises e.g. a polyfluoroethylene-propylene or other insulating metallised in silver or aluminum on the exterior face. Between it and the panel is interposed an array of paralleled electric strip heaters (26) having a refractory core (28) e.g. of Inconel (RTM) between insulating foils (30). The various layers are applied by a vacuum compressive process using inner and outer adhesive layers (32,34). The complete vehicle undergoes directly thermal equilibrium tests in a low-temperature insulated and evacuated chamber, simulating space conditions, with the heaters (26) simulating vehicle operational losses, being left in situ during the vehicle's subsequent service life.