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In recent years there is growing interest, on the part of the remote sensing community, in using the Antarctic area, for calibrating and validating data of satellite-borne microwave radiometers. With a view to the launching of the ESA's SMOS satellite, which is a satellite designed to observe soil moisture over the Earth landmasses, salinity over the oceans and to provide observations over regions of ice and snow, an experimental activity called DOMEX was started at Dome-C Antarctica. The main scientific objectives of this activity are to provide microwave data for SMOS satellite calibration and in particular: the continuous acquisition of a calibrated time-series of microwave and thermal Infrared (8-14micron) emission over an entire Austral annual cycle, the acquisition of a long time-series of snow measurements and the acquisition of relevant local atmospheric measurements from the local weather station. This paper is focusing on the thermal design, analysis and testing of Domex-2.

The SMOS satellite is a polar-orbit sun-synchronous Earth observation ESA mission, whose science objectives are to: globally monitor surface soil moisture over land surfaces, globally monitor surface salinity over the oceans, characterise ice and snow covered surfaces The SMOS satellite is composed of the Proteus platform and the Payload module/MIRAS instrument. This paper is dedicated to the thermal design and testing of SMOS payload module (PLM). The PLM thermal design is passive, maximizes the use of proven materials and processes and is supported by heaters. The major drivers for the design are the limitation in heater power allocation and the stringent temperature requirements. The verification of the PLM thermal design is based on a Thermal Balance (TB) testing of a Structural Thermal Model (STM), followed by a TB/TV test on the ProtoFlight Model (PFM). A Thermal Vacuum (TV) test has also been performed for the complete spacecraft.

The METOP satellite is Europe’s polar-orbiting meteorological satellite. It balances the US provided POES (Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellite) program. 3 flight models are built under EUMETSAT/ESA contract by an industrial consortium led by Astrium. Instruments are supplied by NOAA and EUMETSAT. This paper gives a summary on the thermal testing of METOP payload module. The testing started with TB test on EM, conducted in may 2001 at ESTEC Large Space Simulator. It was followed by a TV test on the same model in June 2001. The test was split into a TB part with solar simulation and a TV part without. Between both tests a test jig carrying a set of stimuli and test equipment was installed on the PLM. In November 2002 the PLM flight model 1 was subjected to a TV test at ESTEC with additional TB phases to improve the TMM. In February 2004 PLM flight model 2 has executed also TV testing at ESTEC.

This paper reports on the thermal testing of METOP (METerological OPerational satellite) Payload Module Engineering Model, conducted in May/June 2001 at ESTEC’s Large Space Simulator (LSS). The paper describes the logic for the selection of the test configuration, the test phases and the performed test sequences. The test results are presented and the correlation results between predicted and measured temperatures are discussed.

Metop (METeorological OPerational satellite) is a series of three satellites designed to monitor the climate and improve weather forecasting. This paper describes the thermal analysis, thermal testing performed, and relevant lessons learned. For the thermal analysis campaigns it focuses on: exchange and correlation of reduced thermal mathematical models established in various software formats sizes and content of the models, in particular automatic generation of reduced models from the detailed models uncertainties definitions of thermal interfaces The lessons learned from the thermal testing campaigns apply to: selection of test environment, using solar simulation and/or infra-red techniques selection of test cases based on thermal design driving parameters and/or test chamber capabilities adequate instrumentation (i.e. thermocouples, test heaters) for all critical components (un)expected events e.g.

Columbus Pressurised Modules (APM permanently attached to Space Station Freedom and MTFF free flyer) will support the scientific experiments and commercial space exploitation requiring manned interaction and intervention (APM) or infrequent servicing/resupply by flight crew (MTFF) in a low gravity environment. This paper is based on the activities performed during the early stages of Columbus Phase C/D and presents: the Active Thermal Control design solutions including the architecture of the fluid loops, the fluid loops monitoring and control philosophy and the fluid loops components and design features; the Passive Thermal Control design solutions including MLI, anticondensation, heaters concept and thermo-optical properties selection.

Thermal control design of Columbus pressurised modules has evolved throughout phases B and C0 of the program leading to the C/D proposal emission. Proposal comments by the European Space Agency (ESA), negotiation of interfaces between Space Station Freedom (SSF) partners, possible advantageous design commonalities among the attached pressurised modules and MTFF reconfiguration are ongoing activities. This paper discusses the design solutions presented in the thermal control subsystem C/D proposal including modifications deriving from updated ESA requirements and preliminary feedback from negotiation of interfaces.

This paper presents the active thermal control architecture of Columbus Pressurized Modules. APM (Attached Pressurized Module) and PM-MTFF (Pressurized Module, coupled to the Resource Modute to form the MTFF, Man Tended Free-Flyer). Active thermal control architecture consists of: module- internal water loops collecting heat from directly interfacing P/L's and S/S's, avionic and cabin air loops external freon loop (PM MTFF only) providing removal and transportation of water loop heat loads to the heat rejection system SS (Space Station) based thermal bus providing removal and rejection of docked element water loops heat loads loop control and monitoring functions provided by modulating pumps and valves, temperature, pressure sensors interfacing with an intelligent control unit. Aeritatia is involved as Prime Contractor for the APM and Element Contractor for the PM-MTFF and retains responsibility for the Thermal Control Subsystem of both elements.