Spacecraft Thermal Control

This is a fast-paced two-day course appropriate for System Engineers/Managers with an interest in improving their understanding of spacecraft thermal design or Engineers who want to get an overview of thermal systems engineering process. All phases of thermal design, integration, testing, and in-flight operations are covered in enough depth to give a deeper understanding of the design process. The goals are to have every student understand (1) “bigger picture” system and tradeoff issues (2) thermal analysis, design, thermal devices, thermal testing, and (3) how the thermal design interacts with the overall system design and fits into the overall picture of satellite design. Case studies, lessons learned, and interactive problems, illustrate the importance of thermal design and the current state of the art.

How the Thermal Engineer:

• Defines Thermal Requirements
• Sets Thermal Limits throughout the project lifecycle
• Does basic conduction, convection, and radiation analysis
• Devises and Implements Thermal Testing
• Chooses Thermal Hardware (active and passive)
• Performs Computer calculations
• Interacts with other systems and project management

1. Why is the Thermal Design So Important?
2. The Role of Thermal Control in Spacecraft Design.
• What does the thermal design have to accomplish?
• What factors affect the thermal design?
• Type of thermal systems
• The thermal design process
• Special considerations for subsystems:
3. Project Life Cycle
• Life cycle definition
• Reviews
• Technology demonstration levels
• Risk classification
4. Requirements, Limits and Margins
5. Science versus engineering driven
• Requirement modes
• Types of thermal requirements and margins
• Limits definitions
• Types of margins
6. Heat Transfer Mechanisms, Fluxes, and Energy Balances
• Conduction, convection, radiation
• Other heat sources
• Incident energy of a spacecraft
• Energy balance equation
• Effects of coatings
• Solar, Albedo, and Earth IR
7. Overall Thermal Analysis
• Analysis Types
• Software packages
• Nodalization and model building
• Radiation analysis
• Finite difference analysis
• Parameters and constraints
• Orbits and spacecraft attitude
8. Thermal Hardware
• Control Coatings
• Interface Materials
• Isolators
• Heaters and sensors
• Radiators, doublers, and heat straps
• Louvers
• Heat Pipes, pumped loop systems
• MLI
9. Integration and Testing
• Test planning
• Types of tests and objectives
• Levels of testing
• Test requirements
• Test profiles
• Test set-up, control methods, and hardware
• Test documentation
• Test analysis, modeling, and correlation
10. Summary and Questions

Carol L. Mosier, NASA Emeritus, has over 30 years of experience in the field of thermal engineering. Ms. Mosier was a 2017 recipient of NASA’s highest award, the Distinguished Service Medal, for her key contributions to mission success, thermal software development, and thermal training. Her diverse work portfolio includes a variety of instrument, balloncraft, and spacecraft systems, operating in cryogenic, convective and high-temperature environments and enabling more than twenty missions ranging from technology demonstrations to Earth and interplanetary science. Ms. Mosier is experienced in all aspects of thermal engineering, including design, analysis, requirements development, integration, testing, and flight operations. Ms. Mosier’s educational activities included developing and teaching thermal design classes for the Goddard Space Flight Center, University of Maryland, NASA Engineering & Safety Center, and Thermal and Fluids Analysis Workshops (TFAWS).