Spacecraft And Spacecraft Radiator Panels With Composite Face-sheets

Abstract

Radiator panels include two spaced-apart face-sheets including an inside face-sheet and an outside face-sheet that are constructed of a fiber reinforced composite material, a honeycomb core positioned between the two spaced-apart face-sheets, and one or more heat pipes extending through the honeycomb core. Spacecraft include a body and two radiator panels operatively coupled to the body opposite each other.

Description

technical field [0001] The present disclosure relates to a spacecraft radiator. Background technique [0002] An aircraft includes a huge number of devices, such as electronic devices that generate heat. This heat must be dissipated, and since there is essentially no air in space, the heat must be dissipated into outer space. Aircraft, such as satellites, often include radiator panels that draw heat from electrical and other devices to the exterior surfaces of the aircraft. Thermal expansion and contraction of the radiator pack may affect the accuracy with which an aircraft's communication devices are oriented to Earth and / or to another aircraft or other object in outer space. For some aircraft, precise orientation of the communication device is important to its function. Historically, heat sink banks have been constructed of materials with similar coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) in order to minimize distortion of the heat sink bank due to thermal imbalances, ther...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

thermal expansion and contraction of the radiator pack may affect the accuracy with which the aircraft's communications are oriented to Earth and / or to another aircraft or other object in outer space

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