Affordable carbon-carbon composite spacecraft radiator demonstration program

Thermal-structural analysis of a hyperspectral imaging instrument for the NASA New Millennium EO-1 spacecraft indicated that a high conductivity carbon-carbon composite radiator plate without heat pipes would perform equivalently to a baseline aluminum honeycomb heatpipe cryoradiator panel. A carbon-carbon radiator plate was designed, fabricated, and tested to demonstrate that high thermal conductive carbon-carbon composites can achieve cost and weight savings over a baseline aluminum honeycomb radiator through the elimination of heat pipes without impacting thermal performance. The 125-mil thick carbon-carbon radiator plate of approximate 7-inch×19-inch dimensions was constructed from a K321 carbon fiber-reinforced carbon-carbon composite plate. Analysis shows that the radiator plate is able to meet or exceed all the required thermal and mechanical requirements while achieving cost and weight savings over the baseline aluminum honeycomb heatpipe radiator. This paper will present results from the radiator design analysis, the thermal/mechanical coupon testing of the carbon-carbon composite plate, and comparative cost and weight tradeoff results over the baseline aluminum heatpipe radiator