Thermal Design/Analysis

ATK provides extensive Thermal Systems Design and Analysis capabilities leading to a thermal control system (TCS) that meets all component, box, instrument, and spacecraft requirements. The group uses a multidisciplinary approach that draws on structural, electrical, attitude control, contamination, and optical engineering to support the thermal design and analysis. As a leader in the development of two-phase transport technology, the group has significant insight incorporating this technology into a spaceflight system. Specific areas of thermal design and analysis expertise include

• Spacecraft/instrument thermal control
• Balloon thermal control
• Shuttle and ISS payload thermal control
• Aircraft payload thermal control
• Aerodynamic heating
• Electronics thermal control
• Cryogenic thermal analysis
• Test design, performance, correlation.

The group was responsible for the design and analysis of the thermal control system for the EO-1 spacecraft. This Landsat-like mission had significant alignment requirements between the bus and the three flight instruments as well as IR detector environmental control requirements. The group developed the spacecraft thermal control system using detailed models, made flight temperature predictions, supported thermal hardware integration (heaters, thermostats, thermistors, coatings, MLI), took the spacecraft through a successful Thermal Vacuum (TV) and Thermal Balance (TB) test program, and supported all launch site and post launch activities.

The thermal design, analysis, and testing of spaceflight instruments are particular strengths of Thermal Systems Engineering. Examples include handling the temperature, contamination, and material requirements for many instruments including coronagraphs, spectrometers, and imagers over a width range of wavelength. Many of these instruments require the multidiscipline Structural Thermal Optical Program (STOP) analysis to ensure optical bench alignment in all modes of operation. Thermal, mechanical, and optical engineers worked together to complete this standardized analysis. SECCHI, MLA, XRT, and NGIMS are some current instrument TCS design, analysis, and test programs.

By maintaining a library of industry standard and state-of-the-art thermal software, as well as developing model conversion software, ATK is able to work with design teams from many companies and agencieseven internationally. For example in support of the USA and European satellite programs, POES and METOP, ATK took contractor developed thermal models in TRASYS/SINDA of the AVHRR, HIRS, AMSU-A1, AMSU-A2, and SEM, and transformed them into the ESA standard.

Box Level Analysis

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Instrument Level  Analysis

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Spacecraft/Obser-  vatory-Level Analysis

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Thermal Testing

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Spacecraft Thermal  System Design

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Shuttle / ISS Payload  Thermal System  Design

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Balloon Payload  Thermal System  Design

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The thermal design staff was part of the overall design, fabrication, and test of the Multiplexer DeMultiplexer Module (MDM) for Boeing as part of the ISS program. The thermal design staff previously completed and delivered to Boeing the ISS SO Heat Pipe Radiator System (SOHPRS), which included the 22' x 5' radiator with embedded heat pipes as well as 21' of transfer heat pipes.

Thermal engineers helped in the design, analysis, and testing of the NICMOS cooling system and the Aft Shroud Cooling System for the next HST repair missions. These designs incorporate integrated heat pipes and a Capillary Pump Loop (CPL)key ATK technologies.

ATK staff does all NASA/GSFC Shuttle Small Payload Project thermal engineering, having worked with Get Away Specials, Hitchhiker payloads, and some Spartan spacecraft from NASA, NRL, AFRL, private corporations, and universities. Thermal engineers have supported these programs from concept design through shuttle flight support.

ATK is currently supporting the JPL StarLight program, providing the spacecraft thermal design as part of the JPL team. ATK is also designing and analyzing the thermal control system for the Navigation Camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO).

Contact

space@atk.com