JWST Heat Switch
James Webb Space Telescope
SDL designed and demonstrated an advanced thermal switch for NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
JWST Thermal Switch Facts
- The thermal switch was designed to provide a highly conductive path between JWST instruments and the cooling radiators while also allowing for the disconnection of these instruments from the radiators during on-orbit events as necessary.
- The switch was designed to be straightforward and easy to manufacture and assemble while meeting stringent conductance requirements.
- The qualification switches were tested and proven in accordance with NASA’s Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6.
Engineers at SDL have been designing and building thermal switches for more than a decade and have demonstrated leadership in thermal isolation, mechanical stiffness and stability, and flexible link technologies. SDL’s space-qualified link technology has been provided to several customers, including Ball Aerospace, Northrop-Grumman and several NASA centers.
Additional information about thermal switch technologies can be found at www.tmtsdl.com.
