Satellites - Bus: Thermal Blanketing

Some satellites will always be in orbit with one side of their body facing the sun and one side facing the cold of space
The side of the satellite facing space would be several hundred degrees colder than the side facing the sun
Thermal blanketing is used to keep satellite cooler or warmer, depending on what is needed
It acts like the insulation in your house: when it's hot outside, insulation keeps cool air inside, and when it's cold outside, insulation keeps warm air inside
Mylar a very good material for thermal blanketing
Mylar is the trademark name for a polyester film plastic discovered and manufactured by the company DuPont
Mylar has many uses, including insulation, backing for magnet tape, balloons, and as a polyester film used to cover a metallic yarn
Mylar is also used for insulation in space suits
It is moderately expensive, and moderately durable
As part of preliminary testing for early communications, ECHO I was a 30 meter in diameter helium-filled Mylar ballon that was coated in thin aluminum - this was allowed to float high into the atmosphere, and then communications signals were bounced off it

Produced by Galactics.
Comments: galactics@spacesim.org.
Last updated on: 8 August 1997.