Flexible 2-Phase Thermal Strap for Small Sats

A rapidly growing class of spacecraft are CubeSats and SmallSats. Current NASA missions indicate an equally rapid growth of technological capabilities to support these small spacecraft. However, large deployable solar arrays and closely packed electronic suites are giving rise to an increasing demand for thermal management technologies in CubeSats and SmallSats. NASA is currently seeking more sophisticated thermal control technologies for this class of spacecraft, thus enabling revolutionary capabilities within small satellites. In response to the need for advanced heat transfer components for improved thermal management onboard CubeSats and SmallSats, i2C Solutions proposes to develop space-rated flexible 2-phase thermal straps with vacuum survivability and operational capability. The current effort will build upon current and previous Department of Defense-funded developments of 2-phase thermal management components with thermal conductivities in excess of 1500 W/m-K and thicknesses of less than 1-mm. Additionally, a world-class CubeSat team including LoadPath, leaders in the thermal analysis of SmallSats, has been assembled to assist in application development and demonstration. The Phase I program will culminate with a proof-of-concept demonstration of a 2-phase thermal strap designed and manufactured for operation in the harsh space environment. The successful development of the proposed space-rated thermal strap will open the door to a new class of future CubeSat and SmallSat missions.

The current primary NASA target application for the proposed space-rated flexible 2-phase thermal strap technology is future CubeSat and SmallSat spacecraft. In particular, the proposed thermal strap will enable efficient heat transfer by dissipating a wide range of heat loads in widely varying environments. Further, the thin, flexible construction of the thermal strap will use less of the limited spacecraft mass and volume.

Beyond NASA applications, the proposed thermal strap technology could see use in other military and commercial applications where thermal management is also a considerable need. Terrestrial-based applications include military and commercial aviation, military and consumer electronics (e.g., computers, cell phones, etc.) among several others.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 4) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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