Investigation of external heats for cubesats at various low earth orbits

In this paper, radiative heat loads on structural panels of small satellites are simulated for various orbital configurations. Thermal management of small satellites are challenging because of their limited available volumes. Satellites in orbits experience not only extreme temperatures but also rapid temperature changes. In order to provide safe operating conditions, the thermal environment in space must be carefully analyzed. This paper presents a numerical investigation of thermal environment influenced the panels of satellites for various orbital parameters by using Systema Thermica v4.9.0 software with Monte Carlo Ray Tracing (MCRT) method. The results of this study can be useful in the design stage of small satellites operating in similar orbits.