• Journal of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers
• /
• v.3 no.4
• /
• pp.1-11
• /
• 1999

Thermal behavior of spacecraft propulsion system utilizing monopropellant hydrazine ($N_2$$H_4$) is addressed in this paper. Thermal control performance to prevent propellant freezing in spacecraft-operational orbit was test-verified under simulated on-orbit environment. The on-orbit environment was thermally achieved in space-simulation chamber and by the absorbed-heat flux method that implements an artificial heating through to the spacecraft bus panels enclosing the propulsion system. Test results obtained in terms of temperature history of propulsion components are presented and reduced into duty cycles of the avionics heaters which are dedicated to thermal control of those components. The duty cycles are subsequently converted into the electrical power required in the operational orbit. Additionally, cyclic temperature of each component, which was made under thermal-balanced condition of spacecraft, is compared to the acceptable design range and justified from the viewpoint of system verification.