Thermal Design, Analysis, and Testing of Europa Clipper’s Radio Frequency Module

Date

2020-07-31

Authors

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

2020 International Conference on Environmental Systems

Abstract

NASA’s Europa Clipper (EC) will conduct a series of close flybys of Jupiter’s moon Europa and investigate its ice-capped ocean. Accommodation of a solar array power architecture, a high ionizing radiation environment, and a 0.65 to 5.6 AU solar distance range has required the development of a mechanical pumped fluid loop (MPFL) architecture known as the Heat Redistribution System (HRS). The Radio Frequency Module (RFM) of EC has passed its Critical Design Review (CDR) and has begun manufacturing and assembling hardware; the Flight System and Project CDR is scheduled for the second half of 2020. This paper will present an overview of how the HRS is applied to the RFM as well as the thermal design, analysis, and testing of RFM components, such as the high gain antenna, that are not thermally controlled by the HRS.

Description

Robert Coker, Applied Physics Lab, John Hopkins University, USA
ICES101: Spacecraft and Instrument Thermal Systems
The proceedings for the 2020 International Conference on Environmental Systems were published from July 31, 2020. The technical papers were not presented in person due to the inability to hold the event as scheduled in Lisbon, Portugal because of the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Keywords

thermal, spacecraft, fluid loop

Citation