Stable White Paint System for the Ariel III Spacecraft,
Abstract
A general account is given of the problem of maintaining a suitable temperature inside an orbiting spacecraft by providing surfaces which give the correct balance between solar absorption and radiation loss. The surfaces used in the heat control system of UK3 (known since launch as Ariel 3) are described. These include an acrylic white paint which is provided with a novel protection against ultraviolet degradation in space in the form of a zinc oxide/potassium silicate overcoating. An appended study of the temperature record in orbit shows that this overcoating has had a considerable degree of success and may in fact have been completely successful for over a year in space.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1970
- Accession Number
- AD0766340
Entities
People
- J. J. K. Rhodes