Speakers
Description
FENNEC (FoldablE Newspace NextgEneration radiator for CubeSats) is a deployable radiator designed to meet the increasing demand for advanced thermal management systems in CubeSats and other SmallSats.
In the past, despite the typically higher power density of SmallSats compared to larger spacecraft, the external structural surfaces of such platforms have usually been sufficient for thermal management. Nowadays, as the role of such platforms is transforming from mere test beds for in-orbit demonstration of new technologies towards regular commercial use, the demand for longer payload duty cycles and electrical power is growing steadily, with main applications in inter-satellite and space-to-ground communications and on-board data processing, as well as in electric propulsion. This calls for more advanced thermal management solutions, capable of dissipating large amounts of heat.
The FENNEC project aims to create a reliable, easy-to-use, modular COTS system that enhances the radiator surface area on a SmallSat with deployable radiator panels. The current baseline design is intended to replace a 3U panel on a 3U or 6U CubeSat to reject up to 50 Watts with two deployable radiator wings. Other sizes are planned once the design is fully verified. After deployment, FENNEC is a fully passive system that requires no control or electrical power to perform its task.
FENNEC is being developed by a consortium of German NewSpace companies led by Dcubed and is co-funded by the European Space Agency under the ESA ARTES C&G program. The project is currently preparing to undergo Preliminary Design Review by the end of 2024.
Figure 1: The FENNEC deployable radiator (artistic rendering).
