A Detailed First Approach to the Thermal Control System Design for the IXAYA Satellite

Spacecraft such as satellites need to survive their journey from Earth to Space. Once deployed, depending on the orbit and their mission, different subsystems operate within a hazardous space environment. The thermal control system (TCS) aims to manage the overall temperature of the components to be in the operational range. Techniques used in big satellites are now applied in smaller-size satellites such as CubeSat, which have gained tremendous popularity worldwide since they need short times of development, and their cost is accessible. The TCS for CubeSat is often underestimated and not given the importance that it reserves. This manuscript presents a detailed first approach to the thermal control system design for a 3U CubeSat called Ixaya. This satellite aims to detect forest hot spots that can initiate fires near Mexico City. First, the State of the Art of 3U CubeSats concerning the development of TCS is listed. Second, the TCS design process is described for Ixaya. Third, numerical results are discussed, showing that the TCS satisfies the thermal requirements. Fourth, conclusions are presented. Finally, it is essential to point out that the literature does now describe in detail the complete development of TCS, omitting critical steps during the process. For this reason, this manuscript offers information for the interested reader to develop TCS in detail.