Lunar radiator shade

An apparatus for rejecting waste heat from a system located on or near the lunar equator is presented. The system utilizes a reflective catenary shaped trough deployed about a vertical radiator to shade the radiator from heat emitted by the hot lunar surface. The catenary shaped trough is constructed from a film material and is aligned relative to the sun so that incoming solar energy is focused to a line just above the vertical radiator and can thereby isolate the radiator from the effects of direct sunlight. The film is in a collapsed position between side by side support rods, all of which are in a transport case. To deploy the film and support rods, a set of parallel tracks running perpendicular to length of the support rods are extended out from the transport case. After the support tracks are deployed, the support rods are positioned equidistant from each other along the length of the support tracks so that the flexible film shade between adjacent support rods is unfolded and hangs in a catenary shaped trough. A heat radiator is supported between each pair of support rods above each hanging reflective trough.