The Koreasat satellite being developed by Martin Marietta Astro Space for Korea Telecom is the first domestic commercial satellite providing both Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) Service and Fixed Satellite Service (FSS).
The power dissipation level of three of the six 120W DBS TWTAs coupled with twelve of the sixteen 14W FSS TWTAs becomes evident that the network of heat pipes to “isothermalize” the payload panel is necessary.
Extensive tradeoff studies to optimize the heat pipe layouts for the communication equipment are reviewed.
Design features of the selected heat pipes and the unique testing program to validate their performance at the unit and at the transponder level are reviewed.
The mission requirements and analyses for various payload operations, including eclipse operations, are reviewed.
The satellite analytical prediction techniques and testing program are reviewed in detail.
Based on the on-orbit thermal performance of other commercial satellite programs, a number of thermal design improvements on the Koreasat satellite are reviewed.