Gene-Sat Thermal Control System

The purpose of the thermal control system is to hold organisms at a non-damaging temperature prior to experiment initiation and provide precisely controlled temperature throughout the experiment.

• Insulation and a conditioned silo environment during the pre-initiation maintain the organisms at stasis survival temperatures(2°C 40°C).
• Double-sided on-card heating provide precise control (34°C ±0.5 °C) during the experiment.
• Kapton resistance heaters provide 4W of peak power taking an average of 1.25W to regulate temperature on orbit.
• MLI blankets radiatively isolate the enclosure from the satellite and Ultem mounts are used to limit conduction losses.
Multipoint measurements confirm temperature uniformity from well-to-well.