Abstract
The thermal analyses of micro and nano satellites on sun-synchronous orbits are performed by using one nodal analysis. Three models of the satellites are considered. The size and mass of model A, B, C are respectively 0.1 m cube and 1 kg, 0.25 m cube and 25 kg, 0.5 m cube and 50 kg. The analyses are carried out under the conditions of the altitude of 300, 500, 700, and 1 000 km, and the local time of descending node (LTDN) from 6 to 12. The combinations of solar absorptivity and infrared emissivity in the case that the temperature of the satellite is within the allowable temperature range (273.15-313.15 K) increase with the larger parameter of the mass times the heat capacity over one area on surface of satellite. The combinations increase with the higher altitudes and decrease with larger LTDN. The combinations in the case of the orbits without an eclipse are larger than with an eclipse. These results are useful for the preliminary thermal design of micro and nano satellites.
