Design and operation of simple thermal vacuum chamber for testing of small spacecraft components

Abstract

A small low-cost thermal vacuum chamber was designed, built and operated. The thermal cycling was done using inner shroud, designed to be used either as a pure cold-wall for radiative cooling or as a thermal contact plate. Computer controlled liquid nitrogen partial flooding system was adopted for cooling and hot air flow was used for heating of the shroud. The thermal vacuum chamber was used for validation of stability of properties of the primer BR 127 outside previously certified temperature range. The tape test (peel-off) of adhesion according to ASTM D3359 09 was done on the primer before and after the thermal-vacuum cycling. The tested primer stood the test without discernible changes of the adhesion properties.