METHOD OF SIMULATION OF EXTERNAL THERMAL FLUXES FOR GROUND OPTIMIZATION OF SPACECRAFT THERMAL CONDITIONS Russian patent published in 2007 - IPC B64G7/00 

FIELD: methods of simulation of spacecraft conditions.

SUBSTANCE: proposed method consists in placing the spacecraft in thermal vacuum chamber provided with cryoshields. Vacuum chamber is evacuated to pressure excluding the convective heat exchange in it. Cryoshields are chilled to temperature simulating spacecraft surrounding temperature and spacecraft is subjected to action of thermal fluxes from external thermal flux simulator of thermal vacuum chamber. Thermal fluxes are measured by thermal flux sensors. Proposed method is carried out with the aid of spacecraft-simulator. External thermal flux simulator is subjected to adjustment and spacecraft-simulator is subjected to action of thermal fluxes simulating the temperature conditions of flight at standard operation of spacecraft in orbit. Thermal flux sensors are calibrated against standard thermal flux sensors mounted on spacecraft-simulator. Dependence of density of thermal flux versus voltage fed to external flux simulator is determined. Spacecraft is again subjected to action of thermal fluxes according to dependence of density of thermal flux versus voltage taking into account standard program of flight in orbit, daytime and season. Then, cryoshields are heated to normal temperature and vacuum chamber is depressurized. Spacecraft-simulator is withdrawn from vacuum chamber and standard spacecraft is placed in it. Standard spacecraft is subjected to action of thermal fluxes similarly as spacecraft-simulator.

EFFECT: enhanced reliability of simulation of external thermal fluxes at ground optimization of spacecraft thermal conditions.