Question on satelite and spacecraft structure

[amsci99]

A dumb question but what are those silver and gold foil doing on satelite and spacecraft. I know that they are great at reflecting the heat but they look flimsy and expendable.

 

[Michel Van]

there is a good reason they on Spacecraft...

Heat !

let take a satellite in orbit the sun side of Satellite get over +100 °C
if get to hot, the electronic goes broken. fueltank rupture because fuel is vaporise to gas.

silver and gold foil reflect the most of sunlight to keep Satellite inside cool

those thermal blankets made today out cover betacloth covert with Teflon.
Beneath with layer out metalized Mylar and Kapon
(means its covert with Aluminium. look like silver but not so expensive like silver ;D )
in early day they used metalized Kevlar (with GOLD)

 

[amsci99]

Michel,

Thanks for the explaination but I still think that they look rather filmsy and was wondering how they were affixed to the superstructure of satelites or spacecraft. IIRC, they were on the Voyager and Mariner probes and wonder how they could stand up against micro meteorites or space dust?

 

[Orionblamblam]

Michel,

Thanks for the explaination but I still think that they look rather filmsy

They are.

[

how they could stand up against micro meteorites or space dust?

Next time you go to a gun range, make sure to pay special attention to the paper targets. Even though the paper targets are flimsy, when hit by a bullet generally the only thing that happens is that the bullet punches a hole in the paper. Nothing more. The damage does not extend much beyond the actual diameter of the bullet. Same thign with these foils... a tiny hole is punched by the impactor, and that's it.