This SBIR Phase 1 project shall develop lightweight materials with high emissivity for radiative cooling down to 30 K, as needed by NASA for advanced spacecraft including the NGST mission. The materials are based on carbon fibers in an engineered configuration that creates blackbody features as well as millimeter wave antenna absorber features. The carbon fiber approach is fundamentally lightweight, structurally robust, thermally conductive, and permits a broad range of configurations. Phase 1 will assess requirements and analyze the concept radiator. Selected emitter materials configurations will be fabricated and tested for model validation. Lightweight cryogenic radiator designs and Phase 2 development will be reported. POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS The approach has potential to generate a range of novel optical materials with applications in thermal control, far infrared and millimeter wave astronomy, and microwave communications hardware. Specific applications are * Improved absorbers for thermal , radiometric, and optical instruments operating in IR, FIR, MMW and MW bands * Absorber coatings for instruments such as bolometers, MMW radiometers, and cryogenic calorimeters * Stray light suppression for improved signal-to-noise in IR and MMW astronomy 30-200 K radiators for sensor cooling in surveillance satellites
