Space Thermal Systems - The Challenge of Adaptive Controls

The rapid and ever increasing development of microprocessor based controllers in a wide and diversified range of applications leads to consider their candidacy on spacecraft systems. Easy programmability, potentials for implementing the most complex logical control laws, and their “adaptivity” form the backbone of their many interesting features.

In this perspective, the paper illustrates an application of adaptive control, within a closed air loop, for thermal conditioning of a typical biochemical experiment cell to be flown in space and addresses some aspects specific to the underlying control philosophy.