Data Analysis and Correlation for Thermal Balance Test on a Micro-Satellite Model
This article deals with the output of a thermal balance test performed on a thermal test model of a micro-satellite and a model correlation between the thermal analysis and the test observations. The test was conducted in a thermal vacuum chamber with the vacuum level higher than 10 − 5 mbar and the surrounding temperature of −85°C. Three test cases, namely, the sun-pointing solar array with part of orbit in eclipse (or Earth's shadow), the payload operation with part of orbit in eclipse, and the extreme worst hot case, were designed and conducted in such a way that the desired orbital environment could be simulated as closely as possible. The temperature data were monitored and sampled at 105 critical points distributed at different locations within the satellite body. These temperature versus time profiles and their agreements with the analytical results obtained using SINDA/G (a special software package for heat transfer analysis in space environment by Network Analysis, Inc.) are discussed. Main obser...