A gas-liquid separator includes a chamber having an inlet for liquid to enter and at least one outlet for expulsion gas and/or vapour that has separated from the liquid within the chamber under gravity. For some applications the chamber will also have an outlet for the liquid. These systems can rely on the chamber remaining in a static orientation with the gas outlet arranged uppermost. Exemplary embodiments provide the chamber with multiple spaced apart outlets and an ability to sense orientation and/or acceleration of the chamber. A controller uses the output of the sensors to determine the spatial arrangement of the liquid phase and gas phase within the chamber relative to the outlets and selectively opens the multiple outlets to allow one of the liquid phase or gas phase to escape the chamber in preference to the other.

Disclosed is a spacecraft including: a housing defining an exterior space, the housing having a first face and a second face; and first and second radiators carried by the first and second faces, the first and second radiators each having an inner main face, an outer main face, and side faces. The spacecraft includes a first auxiliary radiator and a first auxiliary heat transfer device thermally connecting the first auxiliary radiator to the inner main face of the second radiator, the first auxiliary radiator being arranged in a first portion of the exterior space defined by the outer main face of the first radiator and by first planes containing the side faces of the first radiator. The first auxiliary heat transfer device includes a heat conducting device. The first auxiliary radiator is composed solely of one or two radiating panels supporting the heat conducting device.

A spacecraft includes a structural interface adapter for mating to a launch vehicle, at least one radiator panel, at least one equipment panel, a first 3-D truss structure proximal to and mechanically coupled with the structural interface adapter, and a second 3-D truss structure distal from the structural interface adapter and coupled mechanically with the structural interface adapter by way of the first 3-D truss structure. The at least one equipment panel and the at least one exterior radiator panel is coupled mechanically by one or both of the first 3-D truss structure and the second 3-D truss structure with the structural interface adapter. Each 3-D truss structure includes at least four coupling nodes and at least six strut elements, attached together by a respective plurality of joints, each strut element disposed between and attached with a respective pair of the plurality of coupling nodes.

Disclosed is a micrometeoroid and debris protection system (MDPS) for a thermal control system on a spacecraft. The MDPS comprises a radiator face-sheet, a truss attached to the radiator face-sheet, and a thermally transparent bumper disposed on the truss. The thermally transparent bumper shields the radiator face-sheet from micrometeoroids and debris and enables thermal transfer from the radiator face-sheet through the thermally transparent bumper.

A spacecraft is disclosed having at least three flat side walls, at least one main communication antenna, including a radiating element having a central axis of radiation (AC-AC), a movable arm configured to move between a deployed position and a folded position, a reflector suitable for reflecting or receiving radiofrequency waves in a direction of emission (DE). The radiating element is fixed to a side wall so that the central axis of radiation (AC-AC) is arranged perpendicularly to the side wall, and the movable arm is shaped so that an offset angle (β) of between 25° and 65° is formed between the side wall and the direction of emission (DE), when the movable arm is in a deployed position.

A panel assembly for use with a spacecraft includes a payload, a radiator panel and a heat pipe. The payload is configured to generate waste heat during operation. The radiator panel is spaced apart from the payload and is configured to dissipate waste heat. The heat pipe is coupled to the payload and the radiator panel. The heat pipe includes a compliant portion to permit the radiator panel to move relative to the payload. Further the heat pipe is configured to transfer waste heat from the payload to the radiator panel.

A heat transfer device is disclosed having a housing including a first main wall and a second main wall, the housing having a sealed internal cavity, a liquid contained in the internal cavity, and a mixer able to set the liquid in motion, the heat transfer device being able to be switched between a first state and a second state in which the liquid is in motion and transfers heat by convection between the first main wall and the second main wall, the thermal conductance between the first main wall and the second main wall in the first state being four times less than the thermal conductance between the first main wall and the second main wall in the second state.

An orifice insert is provided and includes a center plug and a ring feature. The center plug has first and second ends and an exterior surface extending between the first and second ends. The exterior surface defines multiple inflow channels that extend from the first end toward the second end and terminate at termination points midway between the first and second ends. The ring feature is disposed about the center plug and the multiple inflow channels to define, with the center plug, a plenum with which the termination points of the multiple inflow channels are fluidly communicative.

An evaporator element is provided and includes a body defining channels, each of which includes grooves respectively delimited by first and second interior facing sidewalls of the body which form a base and an apex with an apex angle opposite the base and defined such that, for a fluid flow moving through one of the channels in a microgravity environment a portion of the fluid flow in a liquid phase within a groove of the channel will move in the groove from the base to the apex and a portion of the fluid flow in a vapor phase within a groove of the channel will move in the groove from the apex to the base.

Techniques for minimizing diurnal temperature variation of a radiator of a spacecraft are disclosed. In one aspect, a spacecraft includes a body, a radiator panel, and a heat dissipating unit thermally coupled with the radiator panel. The spacecraft is configured to operate in an orbital plane, and has a yaw axis within the orbital plane and directed from a spacecraft coordinate system origin toward nadir, a pitch axis orthogonal to the orbital plane, and a roll axis orthogonal to the pitch axis and the yaw axis. The radiator panel includes a surface area external to a body of the spacecraft, a first portion of the surface area facing a first direction that is substantially parallel to the roll axis, and a second portion of the surface area facing a second direction that has a substantial component parallel to the yaw axis.