Design and Test of a Space Deployable Radiator

The advantages of a space deployable radiator are among others to permit increase of dissipated power by enlarging the dissipative area from stowed to deployed configuration.

The concept developed by AEROSPATIALE and CNES has also the advantage to permit reuse of existing platforms without necessity of an entirely re-designed architecture of the spacecraft.

This concept is based essentially on:

• a deployable panel of hinged type where the power is spread over the surface by means of embedded heat pipes
• a thermal rotating joint coaxial with the panel hinge.

The prototype model has a radiator panel of 800 × 600 mm with five embedded heat pipes and two radiative faces capability. In the hot case, corresponding at Summer or Winter Solstice for geosynchronous communication satellites the capability is about 160W, while the temperature of internal unit is maintained at + 30°C.