Temperature response characteristics of the thermal control system of alpha magnetic spectrometer under the operations of international space station
Abstract The alpha magnetic spectrometer (AMS) in orbit is thermally affected by operations of the international space station (ISS). According to long-term monitoring data in orbit, three kinds of the most frequent ISS operations were determined, they were locking the ISS solar arrays by themselves, changing the ISS flying attitude with locking solar arrays and rotating the ISS starboard radiator with locking solar arrays. The β interval of ( − 75 ° , − 21 ° ) in which these three kinds of ISS operations have the most significant effect on the AMS thermal environment was calculated in reference to the ISS geometric model, and the calculation result was proved to agree well with the temperature records in orbit. The AMS radiator heat balance model was found under the different ISS operations. The numerical simulations were performed to provide quantitative analysis on external heat flux on AMS radiators. Based on those, the general temperature responses of the AMS radiators following the ISS β angle under the most frequent ISS operations were analyzed accordingly. We found that the ISS operations have varying degrees of the thermal influence on the AMS radiators under the same β angle. The suggestions of controlling the possible temperature anomalies caused by the ISS operations were given according to the temperature response characteristics of the AMS components under the most frequent ISS operations.