{"id":15670,"date":"2021-11-12T14:11:45","date_gmt":"2021-11-12T14:11:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/?p=15670"},"modified":"2021-11-12T14:11:45","modified_gmt":"2021-11-12T14:11:45","slug":"utilising-graphene-technology-regulate-satellite-temperature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/utilising-graphene-technology-regulate-satellite-temperature\/15670\/","title":{"rendered":"Utilising graphene technology to regulate satellite temperature"},"content":{"rendered":"
Space is full of astonishing extremes, and temperature in space is no different. Between Sun-facing and Earth-facing aspects, a satellite can experience temperature variations of more than 400\u00b0C.<\/p>\n
The effects of a satellite becoming too hot or cold can be far-reaching, from interruption of the applications we use every day to dramatically impacting our emergency services. Currently, thermal management options are not optimal; they are large, heavy and entail high power consumption, which can quickly diminish a satellite\u2019s power reserves.<\/p>\n
Now, a spin-out of the University of Manchester, SmartIR, is building a cost-effective solution that will ensure satellites<\/a> can control thermal radiation on demand.<\/p>\n The team at SmartIR has developed a graphene-based smart coating for satellites, allowing them to manage thermal energy in real-time, depending on whether a satellite\u2019s surface is Earth\u2019s shadow or on the side closest to the Sun.<\/p>\n This graphene technology is a far more optimal solution as it is lightweight, has a low power consumption, can respond quickly to temperature changes, operates across the infrared spectrum, and involves no moving parts.<\/p>\nFunding space technology<\/h3>\n