Research on background heat flux of the thermal balance test system based on solar simulator

Abstract In the thermal balance test system based on the solar simulator, the background heat flux of the test system can cause additional heating to the spacecraft, reducing the effectiveness of the thermal test. Hence, it is necessary to conduct in-depth research on the impact of background heat flux through experimental and numerical methods. This paper first measures the background heat flux of the thermal test system based on the KM6 large-scale solar simulator experimentally, which is 35W/m 2 . Then, a simulation model of the thermal balance test system is established to clarify that the background heat flux originates from the cone chamber and collimating reflector of the solar simulator system. The result provides technical support for achieving a high-precision simulation of the space external heat flux based on the solar simulator.