Satellite Thermal Control for Systems Engineers

This work is about the theory and methods of controlling the temperature of a satellite. It presents satellite thermal control as an organized engineering discipline systematically derived from the principles of heat transfer. The treatment is thorough but consciously readable and tutorial requiring only basic knowledge of physics and mathematics as prerequisite. 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 in here to attract students and aerospace engineers of all specialties. For those already involved in satellite thermal control, the book provides a source of data and a reference to the problems and methods of solution encountered in their trade. All the illustrations and numerical examples refer directly to actual situations. Significant selections are cited from the innumerable publications that have appeared since the launch of Sputnik in 1957. The result is a comprehensive textbook of one of the most important aspects in the design of satellites.