A structural panel for a satellite comprising an elongate pipe mounted thereto. The heat pipe is bonded to the panel intermediate its remote ends with a thermally conductive adhesive. The adhesive is omitted proximate at least one distal end of the heat pipe. The at least one distal end of the heat pipe without adhesive is mechanically secured to the panel by at least one bolt received in a cooperating threaded receiving element. A method of manufacturing such a panel is also provided.

A spacecraft includes a spacecraft main body, including payload equipment disposed on an inner panel surface of at least one radiator panel, the at least one radiator panel having an exterior-facing outer panel surface. The spacecraft includes at least one electric thruster disposed proximate to an aft facing panel of the spacecraft main body. The at least one electric thruster is thermally coupled with the at least one radiator panel by way of a thermally conductive path.

An apparatus includes a structure configured to receive and transport thermal energy. The structure includes one or more materials configured to undergo a solid-solid phase transformation at a specified temperature or in a specified temperature range. The one or more materials form a heat input region configured to receive the thermal energy and a cold sink interface region configured to reject the thermal energy. The structure also includes one or more thermal energy transfer devices embedded in at least part of the one or more materials. The one or more thermal energy transfer devices are configured to transfer the thermal energy throughout the one or more materials and at least partially between the heat input region and the cold sink interface region. The one or more materials are also configured to absorb and store excess thermal energy in response to a temperature excursion associated with a thermal transient event and to release the stored thermal energy after the thermal transient event.

An orbital satellite has a bus formed of a bus module and a payload module. Both the bus module and the payload modules may include a pair of panels integrally formed at an angle of for example 90? with respect to each other. Components and electronics supporting the satellite systems may be mounted on the panels of the bus and payload modules. Heat generated by the components and electronics are conducted between panels of the bus module and/or payload module. Sufficient heat transfer between panels occurs as a result of their being integrally formed with each other.

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.

A first deployment mechanism (30) deploys a first radiator panel (20) from a state where the first radiator panel (20) is opposed to a north or south face (10) of the body structure of a satellite. A second radiator panel (40) is stacked with the first radiator panel (20) to be opposed to the north or south face (10) of the body structure of the satellite and is sandwiched between the north and south face (10) of the body structure of the satellite and the first radiator panel (20), in a state where the first radiator panel (20) is opposed to the north or south face (10) of the body structure of the satellite. A second deployment mechanism (50) connects the second radiator panel (40) to the north or south face (10) of the body structure of the satellite, and deploys the second radiator panel (40) in a direction P2 opposite to a deployment direction P1 of the first radiator panel from a state where the second radiator panel (40) is opposed to the north or south face (10) of the body structure of the satellite.

A system includes a flight vehicle and one or more deployable radiators. Each deployable radiator includes a structure configured to receive thermal energy and to reject the thermal energy into an external environment. The structure includes (i) multiple inline and interconnected thermomechanical regions and (ii) one or more thermal energy transfer devices embedded in at least some of the thermomechanical regions. The one or more thermal energy transfer devices are configured to transfer the thermal energy between different ones of the thermomechanical regions. At least one of the thermomechanical regions includes one or more shape-memory materials configured to cause a shape of the structure to change. The thermomechanical regions may include one or more heat input regions configured to receive the thermal energy, one or more heat rejection regions configured to reject the thermal energy into the external environment, and one or more morphable regions including the one or more shape-memory materials and configured to change shape.

An apparatus includes a structure configured to receive thermal energy and to reject the thermal energy into an external environment. The structure includes a lid and a body. The structure also includes (i) multiple inline and interconnected thermomechanical regions and (ii) one or more oscillating heat pipes embedded in at least some of the thermomechanical regions. Different portions of at least one of the lid and the body form the thermomechanical regions. The one or more oscillating heat pipes are configured to transfer the thermal energy between different ones of the thermomechanical regions. At least one of the thermomechanical regions includes one or more shape-memory materials configured to cause a shape of the structure to change. Each of the one or more oscillating heat pipes includes at least one channel in the structure.

A heat rejection system that employs temperature sensitive shape memory materials to control the heat rejection capacity of a vehicle to maintain a safe vehicle temperature. The technology provides for a wide range of heat rejection rates by actuation of the orientation or position of a heat rejection panel which impacts effective properties of the heat rejection system in response to temperature. When employed as a radiator for crewed spacecraft thermal control this permits the use of higher freezing point, non-toxic thermal working fluids in single-loop thermal control systems for crewed vehicles in space and other extraterrestrial environments.

A radiator structure for a satellite is provided. A first radiator panel adapted to be positioned on a first side of a central body, and a second radiator panel adapted to be positioned on a second side of the central body. Other implementations include a third radiator panel positioned on a third side of the central body. The apparatus also includes at least one heat pipe embedded between a first face and a second face of each radiator panel and extending from the first radiator panel through the first radiator panel and through the second radiator panel. The heat pipe structurally supports the first radiator panel and the second radiator panel relative to the intermediate radiator panel. A method of manufacturing a radiator structure is also provided.