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Spacecraft external heating variations in orbitThe results of an evaluation of variations in on-orbit external heating of spacecraft surfaces are presented. The analyzed time-varying components are the direct solar, the latitude-dependent shortwave reflected, and the latitude-dependent longwave planetary-emitted radiation. Differences in instantaneous heating rates at a given latitude among the different model environments are found to be much larger than are differences in orbital mean heating rates. The discrepancies are found to increase with the orbit inclination angle. The ratio of Northern Hemisphere winter-to-summer orbital mean heating rates for a nadir-facing node is near unity and shows only a slight dependence on large variations in node absorptance. Mean orbital albedo and emission values for low-inclination orbits are found to differ significantly from global values obtained in meteorological studies. Algorithms relating mean orbital albedos and emissions to orbit inclination are developed. The relative importance of more realistic nondiffuse over diffuse reflections is evaluated for spacecraft heating and found to be negligible. The sun-spacecraft-earth angular configuration is such that, for reception of the peak intensities in the nondiffuse reflectance angular distribution, the albedo heating rate is more than adequately suppressed by an extremely small view factor from the spacecraft to the sunlit 'crescent' earth.
Document ID
19870055826
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Leffler, J. M.
(Rockwell International Corp. Houston, TX, United States)
Date Acquired
August 13, 2013
Publication Date
June 1, 1987
Subject Category
Spacecraft Design, Testing And Performance
Report/Patent Number
AIAA PAPER 87-1596
Accession Number
87A43100
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAS9-14000
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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