Protection of Manned Spacecraft Radiator from Space Debris

With worsening of the space debris environment, research on the protection from space debris attracts more and more interests of investigators all over the world. The radiator is laid outside of manned spacecraft with large area. The radiator can protect the pressure module from space debris, but the pipes of radiator may be penetrated by space debris.
In order to reduce the penetration risk, the design of radiator has been modified by ‘hiding’ the pipes under the surface of the radiator. The modified design does not affect the thermal control effect or increase the weight of radiator, and the protection capability of improved radiator is increased by 30% than that of the original.
Futhermore, the special enhancing protection designs for the radiator pipes in impacting sensitive area are implemented, including increasing the distance between the pipes and the module surface, heat pipes shielding, etc. Simulation and impact test results show that the enhancing protection designs can effectively improve the protection capability of the radiator pipes.