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2009-01-2391

Thermal Considerations for Meeting 20ºC and Stringent Temperature Gradient

Requirements of IXO SXT Mirror Modules

Michael K. Choi
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

This is a work of the U.S. Government.

ABSTRACT One of the payloads on the IXO observatory is SXT

FMA. It has a single mirror configuration that includes a
The Soft X-Ray Telescope (SXT) is an instrument on the 3.3 m diameter and 0.93 m tall mirror assembly. Figure 2
International X-Ray Observatory (IXO). Its flight mirror shows this assembly.
assembly (FMA) has a single mirror configuration that
includes a 3.3 m diameter and 0.93 m tall mirror
assembly. It consists of 24 outer modules, 24 middle
modules and 12 inner modules. Each module includes
more than 200 mirror segments. There are a total of
nearly 14,000 mirror segments. The operating
temperature requirement of the SXT FMA is 20ºC. The
spatial temperature gradient requirement between the
FMA modules is ±1ºC or smaller. The spatial
temperature gradient requirement within a module is
±0.5°C. This paper presents thermal design
considerations to meet these stringent thermal
requirements.

INTRODUCTION
Figure 1. IXO Orbit.
The IXO is a joint X-ray observatory with participation
from European Space Agency (ESA), National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and
Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). This
mission supersedes the Constellation-X mission
concept. The observatory has a circular orbit of a
700,000 km radius at the second sun-Earth libration
point (L2). Figure 1 shows the orbit. One side of the
observatory is exposed to direct sunlight, and the other
side is shaded. The mission life required is 5 years and
the goal is 10 years. Currently it is a Class B mission
scheduled for launch on an Atlas V 551 medium fairing
from Cape Canaveral, Florida in December 2020.

Figure 2. SXT Mirror Assembly.

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The focal length of the mirror is 20 m. Part of the
metering structure is 12.2 m long and is extendable. The
fixed portion of the metering structure is 6.4 m. Figure 3
shows the observatory.
Figure 3. IXO Observatory.
The SXT FMA consists of highly nested Schott AF 45
thin borosilicate glass segments of mirrors which are
aligned and mounted into 60 modules. The inner
diameter of the mirror is 0.744 m, and the outer diameter
is 3.3 m. The mirror is divided into three rings. The inner
ring has 12 identical modules. The middle ring has 24
identical modules. The outer ring has 24 identical
modules. The modules are mounted into a “wagon-
wheel” type truss structure to the spacecraft (S/C) at six
1
points (Figure 4).
Figure 4. SXT FMA Modules.
There are 206 mirror segments on each outer module,
230 on each middle module, and 286 on each inner
module. Half of the mirror segments are primary units
which are accommodated by the upper part of the
module walls. The remaining segments are secondary
units which are accommodated by the lower part of the
module walls. There is a 5 cm gap between the two
halves. Figure 5 shows this configuration. The total
number of mirror segments is nearly 14,000. Each mirror
segment is attached to the module wall rails (Figure 5) at
six points by an adhesive. Heat conduction between
202 SAE Int. J. of Aerosp. | Volume 4 | Issue 1
mirror segments and module walls is therefore very
small. The mirror segments have a thin (4 to 25 nm)
iridium coating.2 The backside of mirror segments is
bare glass to minimize effect of stray light. On the
forward end of the FMA, there are stray light baffles
(SLB) on all the modules, and pre-collimators on the
SLB of the middle ring and outer ring modules (Figure
6). The pre-collimators serve as a thermal barrier
between the FMA and space. 3
Figure 5. Module Walls and Rails.
Figure 6. SLB and Pre-Collimator.
THERMAL REQUIREMENTS
The flight operating temperature requirement of the SXT
FMA is 20ºC. The spatial temperature gradient
requirement within a FMA module is ±0.5°C (i.e., any
part of a module needs to be within the 19.5°C to 20.5°C
range). The spatial temperature gradient requirement
between the modules is ±1ºC or smaller (i.e., bulk
temperature of a module needs to be within the 19°C to
21°C range). Therefore the temperature gradient
requirements are very stringent. The survival
temperature limits are 10°C minimum and 30°C
maximum when the SXT is non-operating.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this paper is to present a thermal design
approach which could potentially meet the stringent
thermal requirements for the SXT FMA.
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SXT FMA THERMAL ENVIRONMENT
The mirror segments are made of very thin glass (0.4
mm). It has a very poor thermal conductivity (about 0.93
Wm-1K-1). The mirror segment coating (iridium) has a
small emittance (<0.1). The spacing between mirror
segments is very small (about 2 mm). The forward end
of the FMA views space (3K). It includes the mirror
segments, SLB and pre-collimators. The FMA aft end is
inside the metering structure which is made of M55J – a
low thermal conductivity material. One side of the
metering structure has solar impingement all the time,
and the other side is shaded. The observatory has a
pitch angle of ±20º. There is a sunshade to prevent
sunlight from entering the FMA when the S/C pitches.
An S/C adapter ring surrounds part of the FMA, and
provides mounting interfaces. Electrically conductive
coatings are required. It is a challenge to meet the FMA
thermal requirements.
SXT FMA THERMAL CONSIDERATIONS
The entire SXT FMA is cold biased to allow active heater
control to meet the thermal requirements. To minimize
heater power, cold biasing is sufficient and not
excessive. The goal is to provide a minimum of 10ºC
margin in the worst hot case operating mode.
METERING STRUCTURE THERMAL INTERFACE –
The fixed metering structure is 6.4 m long. What
thermally affects the FMA the most is its interior portion
adjacent to the FMA due to view factors for radiation
exchange. The temperature of this portion must be
uniform and stable. To achieve this goal, the metering
structure exterior is insulated with a 15-layer multi-layer
insulation (MLI). The thermal coating of the MLI outer
cover is 50% conductive silver composite coating
(ITO/Al 2 O 3 /SiO x /Ag) and 50% conductive Germanium-
coated black Kapton. Alternate stripes (2.54 cm wide) of
these two coatings provide a ratio of 0.42 for
absorptance to emittance at beginning-of-life (BOL).
Flight heritage of conductive silver composite coating
includes Global Geospace Science (GGS) WIND and
POLAR instruments and IMAGE Low Energy Neutral
Atom (LENA) instrument. Flight heritage of conductive
Germanium-coated black Kapton includes Swift Burst
Alert Telescope (BAT). The interior portion (2 m long) of
the metering structure has Aeroglaze Z306 black paint to
enhance radiative heat exchange. Since its diameter is
3.3 m, applying this paint to just a 2 m long interior
portion is not an issue. It will be baked out to meet the
outgassing requirement. Heaters and thermistors for
active heater control are attached to the exterior of the 2
m portion of the metering structure adjacent to the FMA.
SUNSHADE THERMAL INTERFACE – The purpose of
the deployable sunshade is to prevent sunlight from
reaching the FMA when the observatory pitches 20º. Its
sun side has conductive silver composite coating and its
shaded side has black Kapton. These coatings cold bias
the sunshade so that it does not radiate heat to the
FMA.
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ADAPTER THERMAL INTERFACE – The S/C adapter
provides a mounting interface for the FMA support
structure at six points. It surrounds a portion of the FMA.
The FMA is both conductively and radiatively isolated
from it. The thermal coating on its exterior is conductive
Germanium-coated black Kapton. Aeroglaze Z306 is the
thermal coating on the interior. Ammonia constant
conductance heat pipes (CCHP) transfer heat from the
sun side to the shaded side to isothermalize the adapter.
Survival heaters are attached to a selected area of the
adapter to prevent ammonia from reaching its freezing
point during the launch and early orbit phases or if the
S/C has an anomaly. Reliability and prolonged lifetime
(15 years of operation and 4 years of storage) of several
ammonia CCHPs were verified by subjecting them to
4
accelerated lifetime testing.
FMA THERMAL CONTROL – The largest heat loss from
the FMA is by radiation to 3K space through the aperture
at the forward end of the metering structure. There is
also radiative heat loss through the small gaps between
the FMA mirror modules. Heaters and thermistors are
attached to a short (4.67 cm) portion of the pre-
collimator. This portion is made of thin aluminum and is
thermally coupled to the SLB which is also made of
aluminum. It allows more surface area than the SLB for
heater distribution. Heaters and thermistors are also
attached to the exterior of all the module walls. These
wall heaters have a very small heater power density and
prevent significant temperature gradient between the
walls and mirror segments. The major portion (23.4 cm)
of the pre-collimator for the middle and outer modules is
made of thin G-10. It minimizes the view factors from the
FMA mirror segments and heated portion of the pre-
collimator to space. It also has a low thermal
conductivity and therefore minimizes heat conduction
from the aft end to the forward end. This G-10 portion of
the pre-collimator reduces the heater power required to
maintain the FMA at 20ºC.
Presently the height of the pre-collimator for the inner
modules is very limited because of the Hard X-ray
Telescope at the center of the metering structure and
science reason. There is a significant difference
between the inner modules and middle or outer modules
for thermal control. In lieu of a tall G-10 pre-collimator, a
thin thermal cover on the top is permitted for the inner
modules due to a different wavelength of X-Rays. The
interior of this cover is vacuum deposited aluminum
(VDA). It minimizes heat radiation from the inner
modules to space and reduces heater power. A 4.67-cm
tall aluminum pre-collimator accommodates the heaters.
SXT FMA THERMAL ANALYSIS APPROACH
Thermal analysis of the SXT FMA consists of two steps
which are described below.
STEP 1: SUFFICIENTLY COLD BIASING – The first
step in the FMA thermal analysis is to ensure it is
sufficiently cold biased for active heater control in the
worst hot case. The stacked parameters for this case
are end-of-life (EOL (5 year design)) thermo-optical
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properties, 1418 W/m2 solar irridiance, 90° sun angle Figure 8 shows the mirror segments of a module. Each
and MLI effective emittance of 0.03. All heaters are segment has 16 nodes on the front side (iridium) and 16
disabled in this step. The goal is to achieve a minimum on the backside (glass).
of 10ºC temperature margin.

STEP 2: COMPUTING OPERATING MODE HEATER

POWER AND TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS – The
second step is to compute FMA temperature gradients
and heater power in the worst cold case. In this step, the
parameters to be varied are heater controller set points,
number of heater zones and length of metering structure
that requires heaters. The stacked parameters for this
2
case are BOL thermo-optical properties, 1320 W/m
solar irridiance, 90°±20° sun angle and MLI effective
emittance of 0.03. Table 1 summarizes the thermo-
optical properties assumed. Degradation of coatings
from BOL to EOL is caused by ultraviolet exposure,
charged particle bombardment and contamination.

Table 1. Thermo-Optical Properties.

Figure 8. Mirror Segments of a Module.
BOL EOL
Coating     A simplified observatory in the thermal model is shown
Conductive Silver 0.08 0.60 0.20 0.58 on Figure 9. The FMA has thermal interfaces with the
Composite fixed metering structure, adapter and sunshade.
Conductive Germanium- 0.50 0.78 0.61 0.76
Coated Black Kapton

THERMAL MODELING APPROACH - Only one module

(inner, middle or outer) is included in the thermal model
at a time because of the following reasons. First, each
mirror segment has 16 nodes on the front side and 16
nodes on the backside. If all 60 mirror modules are
included in the thermal model, the number of surfaces in
the Geometrical Math Model or number of nodes in the
Thermal Math Model will be extremely large and the
number of radiation couplings will be unacceptably large.
Second, each module has its own active heater control
and is thermally independent of other modules.
Therefore a different thermal model is developed for an
inner, middle or outer module. Based on the heater
power prediction for each module and number of Figure 9. Observatory in Thermal Model.
modules, the total FMA heater power is computed.
Figure 7 shows a module in the thermal model. As Figure 10 and Figure 11 present an inner module and an
mentioned earlier, the G-10 portion of the pre-collimator outer module, respectively, in the thermal model.
is only permitted for the middle and outer modules.

Figure 10. Inner Module.

Figure 7. Mirror Module in Thermal Model.

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Figure 11. Outer Module.
PRECISION HEATER CONTROLLERS - Heater
controllers are pulse width modulation type (Swift flight
heritage) and have tolerances of ±0.1ºC or better. They
are modeled as thermostats that close at set point minus
0.1ºC and open at set point plus 0.1ºC.
CONDUCTION BETWEEN MIRROR SEGMENTS AND
MODULE WALLS – Heat conduction between each
mirror segment and the module walls is through six
adhesive bonding points. Each point is about 3 mm in
diameter. The conductance at each point is assumed to
be 0.005 W/ºC. It is also varied to check how it impacts
the temperature gradient between the mirror segment
and module walls.
Figure 12. Worst Hot Case Outer Module Mirror
Temperature (ºC).
From Figure 13, the temperature predictions of the first 2
m of the metering structure adjacent to the FMA are in
the -30ºC to -20ºC range, and therefore have at least a
40ºC margin. This margin is adequate. The temperature
predictions are dependent on the MLI effective
emittance. If the MLI effective emittance is changed from
0.03 to 0.01, the temperature predictions of the first 2 m
of the metering structure decreases. Note that this
portion of the metering structure will have active heater
control in the worst cold case.

SXT FMA THERMAL ANALYSIS RESULTS

COLD BIASING IN WORST HOT CASE – Figures 12

through 16 present the outer module temperature
predictions in the worst hot case. All the heaters are
disabled to ensure that the margin of cold biasing is
sufficient but not excessive. Excessive cold biasing will
lead to larger heater power in the worst cold case.

From Figure 12, the temperature predictions of the

mirror segments are in the -30ºC to 0ºC range, and
therefore have at least a 20ºC margin. It is not excessive
for such an early phase (Pre-Phase A). The secondary
mirror segments are warmer than the primary segments. Figure 13. Worst Hot Case Metering Structure
It is expected because the aft end of the secondary Temperature (ºC).
segments views the metering structure but the forward
end of the primary segments views space. The sun-side From Figure 14, the temperature predictions of the
of the metering structure MLI is exposed to sunlight. module walls are in the -15ºC to 0ºC range, and
Therefore the metering structure temperature is therefore have at least a 20ºC margin. They are
dependent on the thermal coating on the MLI outer sufficient and not excessive. The temperature
cover. As the  to  ratio increases, the mirror segment predictions of the aluminum portion of the pre-collimator
temperature increases and the margin of mirror segment are from -35ºC to -30ºC. They are colder than the
temperature prediction decreases. The metering module walls because they have better view factors to
structure temperature is also dependent on the MLI space.
effective emittance. If the effective emittance is changed
from 0.03 to 0.01, the mirror segment temperature
prediction decreases because the effect of solar flux
decreases.

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Figure 16. Worst Cold Case Outer Module Mirror

Figure 14. Worst Hot Case Outer Module Temperature
Temperature (ºC).
(ºC).
The temperature predictions of the first 2 m of the
The metering structure MLI outer cover temperature
metering structure adjacent to the FMA are in the 20.5ºC
prediction is 70ºC maximum (Figure 15). It is well below
to 24.8ºC range (Figure 17). Heater controller set point
the maximum allowable service temperatures of Dacron
for heaters closer to the FMA is 20.5ºC. Heater
mesh and Kapton. The sunshade and adapter are cold
controllers for the remaining heaters are set to 24.8 ºC.
biased sufficiently, and won’t cause large temperature
gradients on the mirrors or modules.

In summary, the thermal coatings selected and MLI

effective emittance of 0.03 cold bias the SXT FMA
sufficiently and not excessively for active heater control.

Figure 17. Worst Cold Case Metering Structure

Temperature (ºC).

From Figure 18, the temperature predictions of the

module walls are in the 20.2ºC to 20.6ºC range because
Figure 15. Worst Hot Case Metering Structure MLI,
the heater controller set points are 20.2ºC for some
Adapter and Sunshade Temperatures (ºC).
heaters and 20.6ºC for the others. The temperature
predictions of the aluminum portion of the pre-collimator
TEMPERATURE GRADIENT IN WORST COLD CASE -
are between 20.25ºC and 40.5ºC (Figure 19) because
Figures 16 through 19 present the outer module
there are multiple heater zones. The heater controller
temperature predictions in the worst cold case. All the
set points for these heater zones vary from 20.25ºC to
heaters are enabled to determine temperature gradients
40.5ºC. Presently the set points are close to optimum.
and heater power.
The G-10 portion of the pre-collimator has a large
From Figure 16, the temperature predictions of the
temperature gradient from the aft end to forward end. It
mirror segments are close to the 20ºC±0.5ºC
is expected because it has a very low thermal
requirement within a mirror module. The temperature
conductivity and fulfils the purpose of reducing the view
gradients are strongly dependent on the heater
of mirror segments and heaters to space. As a result it
controller set points. Optimizing the set points will
reduces heater power.
ensure the above requirement met. Note that heater
controllers that have a tolerance of ±0.1ºC or better will
be used.

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Thermal analyses of the middle and inner modules are

performed by using the procedure above for the outer
modules.

HEATER POWER PREDICTION – Table 2 summarizes

the operating mode average heater power predictions in
the worst cold case. The total heater power prediction is
1,530 W. It is close to the budget.

Table 2. Heater Power Predictions.

Heater Power (W)

Outer Modules 650
Middle Modules 360
Inner Modules 100
Metering Structure 420
Figure 18. Worst Cold Case Outer Module Temperature Total 1530
(ºC).
SIGNIFICANCE OF HEATER LOCATIONS – The
purpose of the 4.67 cm tall aluminum pre-collimator is to
distribute heater power over the mirror module aperture.
For example, if the three radial vanes of this actively
controlled collimator are removed (Figure 21), the
temperature gradient prediction of the mirror segments
increases significantly (Figure 22).

Figure 19. Worst Cold Case Pre-Collimator Temperature

(ºC).

From Figure 20, the metering structure MLI outer cover

temperature prediction in the worst cold case is 42ºC. It
is nearly 30ºC colder than that of the worst hot case. The
adapter temperature prediction is -30ºC. It is much Figure 21. Worst Cold Case Outer Module Temperature
warmer than the freezing point of ammonia in the – Radial Vanes of Heated Pre-Collimator Removed (ºC).
CCHPs.

Figure 20. Worst Cold Case Metering Structure MLI, Figure 22. Worst Cold Case Outer Module Temperature
Adapter and Sunshade Temperatures (ºC). – Radial Vanes of Heated Pre-Collimator Removed (ºC).

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APPROACH TO MINIMIZE HEATER HARNESS
MASS
The average number of heater circuits per mirror module
is 30. For 60 mirror modules the total number of heater
circuits is 1,800. Since the IXO mission is a NASA Class
B mission with a 5-year mission life, full redundancy is
required for heater circuits. The total number of primary
and secondary heater circuits is 3,600. Each circuit
requires a thermistor for temperature feedback to a
heater controller. Four copper wires, no smaller than 26
AWG, are required for a heater circuit – two (supply and
return) for the heater and two for the thermistor. The
number of wires in the heater harness is 14,400 and is
very large.
PROBLEM OF CENTRALIZED HEATER
CONTROLLER – Note that the SXT FMA is 3.3 m in
diameter. Referring to Figure 23, if the heater controller
boards are centralized (i.e., located in a large electronics
box), routing and accommodating 14,400 copper wires
on the FMA is extremely difficult because the spacing
between the mirror modules is small and there is a
mechanical support structure in the spacing. Additionally
the total length (and therefore mass) of the heater
harness will be very large. Integration and testing of the
heater circuits in the flight configuration will be a
nightmare.
Figure 23. Heater Harness for Centralized Heater
Controller.
Additionally there are heater circuits on the metering
structure exterior. The heater harness from a centralized
heater controller to these heater circuits is up to 6 m
long. It adds mass significantly.
DISTRIBUTED HEATER CONTROLLER APPROACH –
To solve the SXT FMA heater harness problem, a
distributed heater controller approach is presented. It
uses small and multi-channel heater controllers, like
5
those flown on Swift BAT. The Swift heritage heater
controller has the following characteristics. Its physical
size is 7.57 cm x 10.48 cm x 2.70 cm and mass is 0.22
kg. It has internal redundancy (Side A and Side B), and
controls up to eight heater circuits (four primary and four
secondary). Its set point is adjustable in flight.
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Since the total number of heater circuits on the SXT
FMA is 3,600, the number of Swift heritage heater
controllers required is 450. The outer mirror modules
require more heater controllers than the inner ones
because of their larger size and therefore larger number
of heater circuits. On the average, each mirror module
requires 7 to 8 heater controllers. They are mounted to
the mechanical support structure members adjacent to
1
each module. McClelland et al. has presented the
mechanical support structure. Figure 24 shows the
proposed heater controller locations.
Figure 24. Heater Controller Locations.
This approach has the following advantages. First, it
minimizes the length (and therefore mass) of the heater
harness between the heater controllers and heater
circuits. Second, it reduces the problem of routing and
accommodating the harness on the FMA. Third, it
reduces the risk of X-Ray attenuation caused by the
heater harness.
The distributed heater controller approach also applies
to the heater circuits on the metering structure. Heater
controllers are mounted to the metering structure and
are adjacent to heaters and thermistors. It reduces the
heater harness length (and therefore mass) significantly.
USE OPERATING MODE HEATERS AS SURVIVAL
HEATERS
A separate power subsystem, including solar arrays, is
designated for the SXT FMA. It provides power to the
FMA heaters in both the operating and non-operating
(safehold or survival) modes.
Survival heater circuits add more problems to heater and
heater harness accommodation. The Swift heritage
heater controller solves this problem. Its adjustable set
point capability eliminates the need for survival heaters.
The operating mode heater circuits can also be used as
survival heater circuits. In the operating mode, a higher
set point is used for the heater controllers. In the non-
operating, a lower set point is used. A set point change
is accomplished by sending a command to the power
supply box.
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FUTURE WORK Code 545, Greenbelt, MD 20771. His e-mail address is

Michael.K.Choi@nasa.gov.
Future work includes the following:
ƒ Optimize the number of heater zones. DEFINITIONS, ACRONYMS, ABBREVIATIONS
ƒ Optimize heater controller set points.
ƒ Optimize the pre-collimator dimensions. Ag: silver
Al 2 O 3 : aluminum oxide
As part of the above optimization, the effect of these : solar absorptance
three parameters on the mirror segment temperature AWG: American Wire Gage
gradients will be evaluated. BAT: Burst Alert Telescope
BOL: beginning-of-life
CONCLUSION CCHP: constant conductance heat pipe
: hemispherical emittance
It is feasible to meet the stringent thermal requirements of EOL: end-of-life
the IXO SXT FMA by sufficiently cold biasing the FMA, ESA: European Space Agency
metering structure adjacent to the FMA, sunshade and FMA: flight mirror assembly
adapter, and use active heater control at a 4.67 cm tall GGS: Global Geospace Science
aluminum portion of the pre-collimator, module walls and ITO: indium tin oxide
the first 2 m of the metering structure. The G-10 portion of IXO: International X-ray Observatory
the pre-collimator reduces heater power significantly. The JAXA: Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency
current total operating mode heater power prediction for LENA: Low Energy Neutral Atom
the SXT FMA is 1,530 W. It is close to the budget. By MLI: multi-layer insulation
optimizing the number of heater zones, heater controller NASA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
set points and pre-collimator dimensions, the mirror SiO x : silicon oxide
temperature gradient will improve and heater power will SLB: stray light baffle
decrease to below the budget. The distributed heater
controller approach spreads out 450 mini heater
controllers over the FMA mechanical support structure.
They are accommodated in spaces between members
of the structure and are adjacent to each mirror module.
It reduces the problem of heater harness
accommodation. Also it reduces the heater harness
mass significantly.

REFERENCES

1. McClelland, R. and Robinson, D. W., “Design

Concept for the International X-Ray Observatory
Flight Mirror Assembly”, Paper presented at 2009
IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, MT, March
17-24, 2009.
2. Lehan, J. P., Personal Communication, March 20,
2009.
3. Boyd, D. and Freeman, M., "Thermal Control Study
of the Constellation-X Telescope Aperture", SAE
Paper Number 2002-01-2372.
4. Barantsevich, V. and Shabalkin, V., “Heat Pipes for
Thermal Control of ISS Solar Battery Drive”, Applied
Thermal Engineering, V. 23, Issue 9, June 2003, pp.
1119-1123.
5. Choi, M. K.,” Thermal Evaluation of NASA/Goddard
Heater Controllers on Swift BAT, Optical Bench and
ACS", 3rd International Energy Conversion
Engineering Conf. Proceedings, San Francisco, CA,
15-18 Aug., 2005, Paper Number: AIAA-2005-5607.

CONTACT

Michael K. Choi is a senior Aerospace Engineer in Heat

Transfer at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. His
mailing address is NASA Goddard Space Flight Center,
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