This paper describes the design and construction of a quasi-three-stage radiator as a means of passively cooling an X-ray charge-coupled device (CCD) which was at a distance of about 1 m from a radiating aperture having an unobscured view to cold space. The design was tested through thermal balance measurements which confirmed that a base temperature of —150°C could be achieved at the CCD. The low mass design was essential in ensuring the absence of significant resonant frequencies of vibration below 100 Hz. The system forms part of the EPIC instrument on the European Space Agency (ESA) cornerstone X-Ray Multi-Mirror (XMM) mission which was recently and successfully launched on an Ariane V rocket.
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