Lancaster-based Advanced Cooling Technologies (ACT), a innovative thermal management solutions provider, recently completed and delivered the Thermal Management System (TMS) designed for NASA’s Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) mission.
“The successful development and delivery of the Thermal Management System for the NASA VIPER mission, exemplifies ACT’s unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of thermal management technology in support of space exploration,” said Bryan Muzyka, ACT Sales and Marketing vice president. “We are honored to have worked with NASA on this mission and are extremely proud of the large team that worked on this program. We look forward to witnessing VIPER’s groundbreaking discoveries on the lunar surface.”
The TMS was designed for the VIPER Survive Lunar Night program that includes extended dark periods where temperatures drop to liquid nitrogen levels. ACT completed the program and shipped the TMS to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston for final integration into the VIPER flight vehicle.
The TMS is comprised of four loop heat pipes, engineered to remove excess heat generated by the rover’s science instruments and avionics during lunar exploration, and four radiators. It also contains cross-linking constant conductance heat pipes designed and built to provide redundancy and additional thermal transport.