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Preliminary Thermal Analysis
Preliminary Thermal Analysis
Preliminary thermal analysis was performed using in-house MATLAB code developed during the thermal analysis of Iris. This transient model assumes no active thermal control system, and approximates each module as a lumped mass experiencing radiation and conduction. A 3U CubeSat with deployed wings was placed in a 550 km sun-synchronous orbit. This orbital altitude was estimated based off of previous SpaceX Transporter missions. No eclipse time was modelled, as ArcticSat is expected to see very few eclipses with all of them being short. Additionally, due to the relatively high structural mass of ArcticSat, it is expected that the temperatures will not drop significantly during the short eclipses. The periods of constant exposure which were modelled provide the 'hot' steady state temperatures across the satellite.
The results of the preliminary thermal analysis are shown in the chart above, with each solid coloured line corresponding to a different node in the spacecraft model, and the two dashed lines emphasizing the bounds of the stead state temperatures. These temperatures were reached in approximately two orbits, and vary between approximately 55°C and 66°C. The model was analysed with both black and clear anodization applied to the bus, and a difference of only a couple degrees was seen across all nodes. As such, clear anodization will likely be used to improve the optical visibility of the CubeSat.
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