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Thermal modeling of the Shuttle Infrared Telescope FacilityThe Shuttle Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) is a cryogenically cooled telescope in the one-meter aperture class designed for sensing in the infrared from 2-200 microns. This facility is currently planned for multiple missions onboard the Space Shuttle with varying instrument complements. All components of the SIRTF within the field of view of the optics are cryogenically cooled. The baseline primary coolant is supercritical helium which is stored in an external tank and routed through the telescope-cooling the instruments, the optical components and the baffles. For detector cooling below 6 K, small reservoirs of superfluid helium (HeII) are provided. The SIRTF was thermally modeled on the SINDA computer program both for steady state and transient solutions. The analysis shows that the baseline configuration has a large capacity for growth in cryogen requirements. A proportional controller model was developed for transient operations. The control system maintained the optics within all prescribed temperature limits except for certain combinations of transients involving a large step change in the power dissipation in the secondary mirror assembly and/or when the primary mirror was assumed to be constructed of quartz. The baseline SIRTF will perform the mission for which it was designed.
Document ID
19850040551
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Gier, H. L.
(Beechcraft Research and Development, Inc. Boulder, CO, United States)
Taylor, W. D.
(Beech Aircraft Corp. Boulder, CO, United States)
Date Acquired
August 12, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1983
Subject Category
Astronomy
Meeting Information
Meeting: Infrared technology IX
Location: San Diego, CA
Start Date: August 23, 1983
End Date: August 25, 1983
Sponsors: SPIE - International Society for Optical Engineering
Accession Number
85A22702
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAS2-11551
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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