Thermal regime

The system controlling the subsatellite's thermal regime (SOTR) is designed to balance the thermal field of the subsatellite elements in the range acceptable for all possible operation modes:
The system controlling the subsatellite thermal regime includes both the active and passive devices for thermal regulation. It is based on the preflight data which determine the subsatellite design, its orientation relative to the Sun in the main operation modes (before and after separation from the main spacecraft and during its pass through the Earth's shadow), and on the requirements to the thermal regime of the subsatellite systems.
Among the passive means of the thermal control the following are employed: The active devices for thermal balance include the electric foil heaters of SOTR. Their principle objective is to provide the needed thermal field up to the moment of the subsatellite separation.
The part of the outer side of the subsatellite body has the thermo-regulating covers. Besides that the KDU is shielded by MMLI. To provide the thermal regime of chemical batteries and the subsatellite body during 5 hours of passing through the shadow the calibrated thermal resistors are used.
To smooth the subsatellite thermal fields along the Z-axis oriented toward the Sun, two heat pipes are installed. Each pipe generates the thermal power of up to 35 Watts for the temperature gradient between the zone of heating and zone of condensation with the maximum value of 4deg.C.

Thermal Control system was designed and heat pipes were produced in Kiev Polytechnical Institute, Ukraine.
Testing of the system was made in Space Research Institute, Russia.
Calculations were made in Space Research Institute and in Scientific and Production Association named after S.A.Lavochkin , Russia.


Back to the Magion Spacecraft Home Page