Heat Loads Due to the Space Particle Environment
Abstract
Analysis of the heat load imposed upon a satellite by the energetic particle population trapped in the magnetosphere indicates that this source of heat can provide as much as 0.5 W/M-sq for short periods. During times of magnetic storms, this value can further increase by half an order of magnitude. This heat source should be considered for any space system with elements designed to run below 100 K and becomes nonnegligible for systems with passively cooled elements (radiators) designed to run below 75 K. Below 60 K, this may be a major concern in the design of the thermal system. In general, the heating due to trapped energetic particles is small in low altitude orbits, moderate in geosynchronous orbits, and severe in intermediate orbits such as the GPS orbit. Average heating in high inclination orbits is lower than in low inclination orbits. Keywords: Space cryogenics, Satellite heating, Particle heating.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 06, 1990
- Accession Number
- ADA225949
Entities
People
- A. L. Vampola
- J. E. Cox
- R. D. Jimenez
Organizations
- The Aerospace Corporation