The Thermal Control Surfaces Experiment (TCSE) is the most complex system, other than the LDEF, retrieved after long term space exposure. The TCSE is a microcosm of complex electro-optical payloads being developed and flow by NASA and the DoD including SDI. The objective of TCSE was to determine the effects of the near-Earth orbital environment and the LDEF induced environment on spacecraft thermal control surfaces. The TCSE was a comprehensive experiment that combined in-space measurements with extensive post flight analyses of thermal control surfaces to determine the effects of exposure to the low earth orbit space environment. The TCSE was the first space experiment to measure the optical properties of thermal control surfaces the way they are routinely measured in a lab. The performance of the TCSE confirms that low cost, complex experiment packages can be developed that perform well in space.
Thermal Control Surfaces Experiment Flight System Performance
1991
45 pages
Report
No indication
English
Manned Spacecraft , Unmanned Spacecraft , Aerospace environments , Electro-optics , Temperature control , Temperature effects , Thermal control coatings , Extraterrestrial radiation , Earth orbits , Long duration exposure facility , Satellite temperature , Spaceborne experiments , Thermal protection , TCSE experiment