A spacecraft heat dissipation method, and a spacecraft having an improved thermal
radiator system that uses two-sided deployable thermal radiators that dissipates
heat from both front and back surfaces thereof. The use of the two-sided deployable
thermal radiators enables the thermal radiator system to have approximately 50%
more heat dissipating capability than a system with just one surface exposed to
dissipate heat. The spacecraft includes a body, one or more solar arrays, and the
present radiator system which comprises opposite facing fixed payload radiators
that are thermally coupled to selected ones of the deployable radiators by way
of heat pipes. In an exemplary method a spacecraft is configured to have a body,
one or more solar arrays opposite facing fixed payload radiators, and one or more
two-sided deployable radiators selectively coupled to the fixed payload radiators.
The spacecraft is launched into orbit. When in orbit, heat coupled to the opposite
facing fixed payload radiators is transferred to the two-sided deployable radiators
for radiation into space from both sides thereof.