The need for advanced cooled electro-optical instrumentation in remote observations of the atmosphere is well known and demonstrated by SABER on the TIMED mission. The relatively new use of small satellites in remote earth observing missions as, well as the challenges, are epitomized by the upcoming NOAA EON-IR 12U CubeSat missions. These advanced CubeSat missions, which hope to accomplish scientific objectives on the same scale as larger more traditional satellites, require advanced miniaturized cryocoolers and active methods for thermal management and power control. The active CryoCubeSat project (ACCS) is a demonstration of such a technology. Utilizing Ultrasonic Additive Manufacturing (UAM) techniques, a Mechanical Pumped Fluid Loop (MPFL), and miniature pumps and cryocoolers to create a closed loop fluid-based heat interchange system. The ACCS project creates a two-stage thermal control system targeting 6U CubeSat platforms. The first stage is composed of a miniature Ricor K508N cryocooler while the second is formed by a UAM fabricated heat exchanger MPFL system powered by a micro TCS M510 pump. The working fluid is exchanged between a built-in chassis heat exchanger and a deployable tracking radiator. This work details the theory design and testing of a relevant ground-based prototype and the analysis and modeling of the results as well as the development of a design tool to help in customized active thermal control designs for small satellites. Ultimately, the ACCS project hopes to enable a new generation of advanced CubeSat atmospheric observing missions.
CubeSat active thermal management in support of cooled electro-optical instrumentation for advanced atmospheric observing missions
CubeSats and NanoSats for Remote Sensing II ; 2018 ; San Diego,California,United States
Proc. SPIE ; 10769
2018-09-18
Conference paper
Electronic Resource
English
British Library Conference Proceedings | 2018
Thermal Ion Instrumentation for CubeSat Missions
British Library Conference Proceedings | 2010
|NTRS | 2019
|