Polymer-Based Conformal Space Radiation Shield with Thermal Management Manufactured by Five-Axis 3D Printing Platform

With the rapid development of SmallSats/CubeSats and space computing, the current aluminum bulk shielding, where all components are accommodated in a box, brings challenges in meeting Size, Weight, and Power requirements as the shield thickness is determined by the components that are the most vulnerable to radiation effects. This challenge is the bottleneck to employing commercial-off-the-shelf electronics in space applications due to their low radiation tolerance but high performance, standardized integration process, short lead time, and abundant availability. In this project, efforts have been made in developing a novel lightweight conformal radiation shield with integrated electronics cooling for spot shielding, where only vulnerable components are protected, to reduce the weight requirement for shielding commercial-off-the-shelf electronics. During Phase I, the proposed concept was demonstrated successfully, including the material design, 3D printing feedstock preparation, and 3D printing of a prototype. Compared to aluminum, up to a 7.4x increase in mass attenuation coefficient was achieved, leading to a 62% weight reduction for a 1U CubeSat system with five electronic boards by using spot shielding. Attributed to the integrated electronics cooling, a 7 °C reduction in processor temperature was demonstrated and a 22.5% increase in processor power consumption was expected while maintaining the same operating temperature. Compared to a conventional planal 3D printed sample, our five-axis 3D printed sample shows a 100% increase in stiffness and a 40% increase in peak force, proving superior mechanical strength. In Phase II, the optimization of the material and manufacturing process will be continued for improved performance. Meanwhile, comprehensive characterizations of the material will be performed to fully evaluate the radiation shield and ensure a space-grade product. A prototype will be fabricated and tested under a radiation environment on the ground, as well as in operational environments in a do-no-harm flight test. Due to the technical advantages mentioned above, the proposed technology can impact the market in several aspects: (i) the weight and cost saved from the radiation shield can be budgeted for the other payload for higher performance; (ii) the use of commercial-off-the-shelf electronics, the development and integration of which have been standardized, can expedite spacecraft/satellite development cycles; (iii) the unique integrated electronics cooling can either reduce the Size, Weight, and Power requirements for the cooling system or allow high-performance computing.