Satellite Thermal Control for Systems Engineers

This book is about the theory and methods of controlling the temperature of a satellite. It is the first to present satellite thermal control as an organized engineering discipline systematically derived from the principles of heat transfer. The treatment is thorough but consciously readable and requires only basic prerequisite knowledge of physics and mathematics. Although the main thrust is to give spacecraft managers and systems engineers a background for directing and advising during the evolution of a satellite thermal design, there is enough to attract students and aerospace engineers of all specialties. For those already involved in satellite thermal control, the book provides a valuable source of data and a definitive reference to the problems and methods of solution encountered in their trade. All the illustrations and numerical examples refer directly to actual situations. The author uses his wide experience to explain many of the difficult points that have made thermal control often a confusing subject. Significant selections are cited from the innumerable publications that have appeared since the launch of Sputnik in 1957. In addition, the author draws on vital material that, for one reason or another, has never been reported in general publications. The result is a comprehensive textbook on one of the most essential aspects in the design of satellites.