Thermal Control System of Space Laser Communication Payload

Abstract

This article mainly introduces the design of a thermal control system for laser communication payload. First, the commonly used thermal control technologies for spacecraft and the development of new thermal control technologies in recent years are introduced. Second, the structure and task characteristics of the laser communication payload are presented. Then, the thermal design of the laser communication payload is carried out with a combination of active and passive thermal control methods. To ensure the stability of the optical system, two separate shades are used in the design. Finally, a thermal balance test and in-orbit verification are conducted. The result of the thermal balance test indicates that the temperature range of the optical system is 20.9–22.1 °C. When in orbit, the temperature range of the optical system is 19.7–20.3 °C. The thermal balance test and in-orbit temperature meet the requirements of thermal control indicators, indicating that the thermal design scheme is correct and feasible.