Thermal-Distortion Analysis of a Spacecraft Box Truss in Geostationary Orbit

Thermal-Distortion Analysis of a Spacecraft Box Truss in Geostationary Orbit
Author: National Aeronautics and Space Adm Nasa
Publisher: Independently Published
Total Pages: 34
Release: 2018-10-15
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9781728747248

The Mission to Planet Earth enlists the use of a geostationary platform to support Earth science monitoring instruments. The strongback for a proposed geostationary platform is a deployable box truss that supports two large diameter passive microwave radiometer (PMR) and several other science instruments. A study was performed to estimate the north-south and east-west pointing errors at the mounting locations of the two PMRs due to on-orbit thermal distortions of the main truss. The baseline configuration indicated that the east-west pointing error greatly exceeded the required limits. Primary origins of the pointing errors were identified, and methods for their reduction were discussed. Thermal performance enhancements to the truss structure were modeled and analyzed, including state-of-the-art surface coatings and insulation techniques. Comparisons of the thermal enhancements to the baseline were performed. Results demonstrated that using a thermal enclosure insulating technique reduced external heat fluxes, and distributed those heat fluxes more evenly throughout the structure, sufficiently reducing the pointing error to satisfy pointing accuracy requirements for the PMR's. Cosgrove, Patrick A. and Farmer, Jeffery T. and Rowell, Lawrence F. Langley Research Center RTOP 506-49-21-02

NASA Technical Paper

NASA Technical Paper
Author: United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Publisher:
Total Pages: 656
Release: 1990
Genre: Aeronautics
ISBN: