THIS PROJECT IS MEANT TO INVESTIGATE THE FEASIBILITY OF USING A CRYOGENIC SELECTIVE SURFACE COATING AS A NE…

Public award description

THIS PROJECT IS MEANT TO INVESTIGATE THE FEASIBILITY OF USING A CRYOGENIC SELECTIVE SURFACE COATING AS A NEW, MORE EFFICIENT WAY OF PASSIVELY COOLING COMPONENTS IN SPACE. INITIAL TESTS ON THE GROUND PROVE THIS COATING SHOULD PROVIDE A MUCH HIGHER REFLECTANCE OF THE SUN'S IRRADIANT POWER THAN ANY EXISTING COATIN, WHILE STILL PROVIDING FAR-INFRARED POWER EMISSION. THE SCOPE OF THIS STUDY WILL INCLUDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CONCEPTUAL STUDY FOR A CUBESAT THAT CAN TEST THE PERFORMANCE OF THE COATING IN SPACE. THE PRIMARY MISSION FOR THE CUBESAT IS TO MEASURE THE STEADY STATE TEMPERATURE OF A SMALL METALLIC OBJECT COATED WITH THE CRYOGENIC SELECTIVE SURFACE COATING IN SPACE. THESE ARE THE PRIMARY SCIENCE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CUBESAT SYSTEM: 1. THE CUBESAT SHALL PROVIDE ADEQUATE SHIELDING FROM EARTH RADIATION AND FROM THE CUBESAT ITSELF USING, FOR EXAMPLE, MLI, SUCH THAT THE COATED SAMPLE IS NOT ADVERSELY HEATED. 2. THE CUBESAT SHALL INCLUDE A METHOD OF ATTACHING THE SAMPLE TO THE CUBESAT SUCH THAT MINIMAL HEAT IS CONDUCTED TO THE SAMPLE UNDER TEST. THE CUBESAT SHALL ORIENT THE COATED SAMPLE TOWARD DEEP SPACE (NOT TOWARD THE EARTH). 3. THE CUBESAT SHALL INCLUDE A MINIMUM OF 3 TEMPERATURE SENSORS THAT ARE RATED FOR AT LEAST 40K A. ONE SHALL BE USED TO MEASURE THE SAMPLE TEMPERATURE-LOCATED IN THE SMALL METALLIC OBJECT UNDER THE COATING B. ONE SHALL BE USED TO MEASURE THE TEMPERATURE OF THE WALL/STRUT CLOSEST TO THE SAMPLE C. ONE SHALL BE USED TO MEASURE THE TEMPERATURE OF THE INFRARED SHIELD 4. THE CUBESAT SHALL HAVE A MINIMUM OPERATIONAL LIFE OF 76 HOURS. 5. THE CUBESAT SHALL BE CAPABLE OF TRANSMITTING ALL COLLECTED DATA (MINIMUM 76 HOURS) BACK TO EARTH. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL DEVELOP A CONCEPTUAL STUDY OF THE CUBESAT AND DEVELOP A SERIES OF GEOMETRIC CONCEPTS FOR THE CUBESAT AND EXPERIMENTAL SETUP. FROM THESE CONCEPTS, THE CONTRACTOR SHALL DEVELOP SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS, AND TRADE STUDIES TO GIVE RATIONALE FOR THE BEST CONCEPT TO COMPLETE THE MISSION. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL HOLD BI-WEEKLY TELECONFERENCES WITH LSP, GIVE STATUS UPDATES AND PROVIDE MONTHLY WRITTEN STATUS REPORTS.