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Necessity of thermal control of dissipative units located on the earth panel and thermally linked to the North and South radiators of a telecommunication satellite has been identified since many years ago. The thermal control of TV SAT TDF platforms was defined using this concept, but necessitated a complex heat pipe networks with on-ground test constraints. The emergence of the capillary-pumped two-phase loop authorises to perform the same function using one item with virtually no on-ground test constraints. Since 1995, Alcatel Space Cannes (formerly Aerospatiale Cannes), sponsored by CNES, have developed a STENTOR (“Satellite de Télécommunication pour l'Expérimentation de Nouvelles Technologies en Orbite”) 1000 W CPL. The ground qualification has been completed in 1999 and the flight qualification is planned late 2000 (launch of STENTOR satellite).

Deployable radiators (DRs) have been in development at Alcatel Space Cannes (formerly Aerospatiale Cannes) since the 1980s to respond to the increasing need of additional heat rejection area. In 1980-1985, Alcatel Space Cannes, sponsored by Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), defined, manufactured and ground-tested a 250 W thermal rotating joint DR. Since 1995, Alcatel Space Cannes, sponsored by CNES, have developed a STENTOR («Satellite de Télécommunication pour l'Expérimentation de Nouvelles Technologies en Orbite») 600 W Loop Heat Pipe (LHP)-based DR. The ground qualification will be completed mid 2000 and the flight qualification is planned late 2000 (launch of STENTOR satellite). Late 1998, Alcatel Space, co-funded by the European Space Agency (ESA), started the development of a Deployable Lightweight High Performance Radiator (DELPHRAD). The 1200 W DR will be ground-tested by mid 2001.

This paper presents the last developments which have been performed at SABCA under internal funding, and the application of this work on the Technological Telecommunication Satellite STENTOR. The High Performance Capillary Pumped Loop ( HPCPL ) has been defined to get a reliable operation mode under a very wide range of operation conditions. Preliminary results have been already presented (ref. (1)), showing the high performances and the reliable functional characteristics of the HPCPL. The present paper emphasises the last developments which have been performed at SABCA.