Surface engineering for thermal control of spacecraft

Abstract

Surface engineering plays an important role in aerospace and allied applications. Finishing for space applications, however, requires higher standards and better control than those used for ground applications, because an on-orbit spacecraft is not approachable for repair and space conditions are severe. Mass reduction is an important criterion in spacecraft design, because the cost of spacecraft launch is enormous. Passive thermal control techniques are generally adopted for the thermal control of spacecraft. The passive system does not involve any relative movement of its parts and does not require external power for operation. This eliminates the possibility of its failure. The passive thermal control system utilises the optical properties of its components. In the absence of atmosphere, heat transfer in space is limited to radiation. In the present article, surface finishing of spacecraft materials for thermal control applications is discussed.