Problem Statement

Imagine your laptop heating up until it crashes—now imagine this happening while conducting research in space. CubeSats, low budget miniature satellites that operate in space, are used for important research and monitoring, such as detecting weather anomalies or providing advanced communication systems. They suffer from this same issue. In the vacuum of space, CubeSat components can reach temperatures of up to 334.4℉ because of the lack of convection and the sun’s radiation of up to 250℉—well above the maximum operating temperature between 185℉ to 248℉, according to the research Thermal Control of CubeSat Electronics Using Thermoelectrics. Heat slows and even damages the sensitive components, such as the processing chip and battery, racking up enormous costs for the companies that use and manufacture them. The costs range anywhere from $10,000 to $1.5 million depending on the configuration of the CubeSat, according to Pumpkin Space Systems. This problem has affected mainstream organizations such as NASA and Starlink, as well as smaller, more privatized CubeSat developers such as Phoenix CubeSat and Pumpkin Space Systems. This problem closely resembles cooling problems found in common household items, such as PC’s and phone chargers, which are used by at least 81% of Americans daily, according to US Census data. This means that we must create a heat transfer system that is inexpensive, lightweight, and compact for a 10cm x 10cm x 20cm CubeSat to be able to use.