This is Technology Area (TA) 14: Thermal Management Systems, one of the 16 sections of the 2015 NASA Technology Roadmaps. The Roadmaps are a set of documents that consider a wide range of needed technologies and development pathways for the next 20 years (2015-2035). The roadmaps focus on “applied research” and “development” activities.
The Thermal Management Systems technology area (TA) crosscuts and is an enabler for most other systemlevel TAs. As such, the design of thermal management systems inherently requires that nearly all other spacecraft systems for both human-based and robotic spacecraft be considered. Technology development in TA 14 is centered on systems with reduced mass and/or enhanced performance. Increased reliability and survivability in hostile environments are also critical goals.
Thermal management systems acquire, transport, and reject heat, as well as insulate and control the flow of heat to maintain temperatures within the specified limits. Virtually all spacecraft and related equipment require some level of thermal control, some much more tightly controlled than others, and the design approach and technologies employed vary widely depending on application. Additionally, from a thermal perspective, spaceflight hardware is highly coupled to its radiative environment per the basic laws of physics such as the Stefan？Boltzmann law. A spacecraft’s radiative environment generally varies over time, and for planetary applications, the ambient atmosphere may have a significant impact. Environments may be corrosive, abrasive, high pressure, or high temperature.
Technologies within TA 14 are organized into the three traditional sub-areas of Cryogenic Systems, Thermal Control Systems, and Thermal Protection Systems. Each of these sub-areas has unique design drivers, devices, materials, test facilities, and analytical techniques. This document addresses such technologies and is focused on the new or improved ones needed to meet NASA’s future mission requirements. Performance goals are generally very specific to each technology.
