Veritrek-based thermal design and validation of spaceborne cooler micro-vibration isolation system combined with graphite sheets and vibration isolators

• A graphite sheet–based method for thermal control and vibration isolation was proposed. • Reduced-order modeling (ROM) via Veritrek was used to optimize graphite sheet parameters. • The proposed design achieved superior heat dissipation and reduced structural mass. • Experiments confirmed effective vibration isolation using graphite sheet interfaces. • The design maintained thermal performance and reduced vibrations in compact satellites. Spaceborne cryogenic coolers generate undesirable micro-vibrations and excessive heat during on-orbit operations. Therefore, appropriate vibration isolators and thermal designs are required to ensure optimal cooling performance, mission lifetime, and vibration stability. In this study, we propose a thermal design strategy using graphite sheets with low stiffness and high thermal conductivity to enhance both the thermal control and vibration isolation performance of cryogenic coolers. The cooler assembly was optimized using Veritrek software, an advanced design optimization software based on a reduced-order model (ROM), to determine the optimal number of graphite sheet layers, radiator area, and thickness that meet the allowable temperature requirements of the cooler. In addition, free-vibration test was performed to verify the basic characteristics of the cooler assembly. The micro-vibration isolation performance of the applied graphite sheets was validated through micro-vibration test under a gravity offloading conditions.