Speakers
Description
Thermal analysis for CubeSats is a challenge caused by different factors. For instance, orbit parameters are not known until the very end of the development phase. On the other hand, thermal behaviour of a multimission platform can differ significantly from one mission to another. As part of the development of the CSUM's 12U platform, improvements to the thermal analysis process were required. Initially, we standardised the 12U model and, for recurring missions, identified the calculations needed to characterise the various behaviours, enabling us to build a database. As soon as we receive the customer's specifications, we select from the database a case close to the requested mission and obtain initial ideas for thermal control. The Thermal and Geometrical Mathematical models are adapted in the conventional way, by proposing thermal control solutions and repeating the calculation. In the event of unforeseen circumstances, the information in the database is consulted and the results of the preliminary simulations, which depend on the different trajectories and architectures, are exploited. As a result, the number of iterations required to size the Thermal Control System is greatly reduced. This approach allows us to increase productivity and reduce the risk of human error, a winning combination for thermal analysis.
