Space Launch System Payloads Thermal Environments

An evolvable launch vehicle designed to send astronauts to the Moon and flagship science payloads deep into the solar system, NASA�s Space Launch System (SLS) will be the most powerful rocket NASA has built. SLS will enable astronauts to begin their journey back to the Moon as part of the agency�s Artemis Program. SLS is a human-rated launch vehicle system that provides an initial capability to launch at least 26 metric tons (t) to Trans Lunar Injection (TLI) to support the Artemis missions. Future payload capabilities will increase to more than 40 t, with both crew and cargo configurations coming online in the 2020s. The primary mission of SLS is to transport the Orion spacecraft to the Moon; future planned missions include flying co-manifested payloads in the Block 1B crew configuration. Missions SLS can support with co-manifested launches up to 10 t include elements of the lunar Gateway and lunar landers. In its cargo configuration, SLS can launch primary payloads such as planetary exploration spacecraft. For missions that do not require the full payload capability, SLS provides an opportunity to fly smaller payloads as secondary payloads. For Artemis I, the first flight of SLS and the new Orion crew spacecraft, 13 6U CubeSats are manifested. This paper will present the thermal environments and thermal interfaces and conditions that SLS payloads will be exposed to. The discussion will include information on shared compartment environments where the payloads are located inside the launch vehicle and payload integration into the vehicle for all mission phases, including roll out and on pad, ascent and on orbit. In addition, the authors will discuss the status of manufacturing, testing and assembly for the initial SLS Block 1 vehicles scheduled to fly.