Thermal Control and Design of the ERS-1 Payload

ERS-1 is the first European Remote Sensing Satellite scheduled to be launched early in 1990. While the Platform is based on the Multi-mission Platform developed in the frame of the French SPOT program, the Payload is a new mission specific development. This paper describes the severe requirements imposed by the ERS-1 mission on the PAYLOAD thermal control design and the adopted design solutions concentrating on several interesting features of its most important element the Payload Electronics Module which houses the bulk of the electronic equipment of the instruments. The payload thermal design has been completed and awaits verification by thermal balance testing early in 1988.