Multifunctional Lightweight Radiators for Small-Satellite Thermal Control

Thermal management in small satellites, such as CubeSats, is constrained by limited radiative area and strict mass budgets, necessitating the development of radiator structures that are simultaneously lightweight, thermally conductive, and mechanically robust. This work presents a topology-optimization and design-space analysis framework for multifunctional lightweight radiators that achieve high specific stiffness and high effective thermal conductivity through structural and thermal optimization. Density-based optimization produces hierarchical architectures that naturally form continuous cavities suitable for high-conductivity channels such as embedded heat pipes. This study reveals scaling behavior and optimal tradeoffs between mass, stiffness, effective thermal conductivity, and the dynamic response of the optimized microarchitectures that form the core of the small-satellite radiator. Coupled structural–thermal analysis shows that prescribed cavities used as thermal channels yield nearly isothermal radiating surfaces, which confirms efficient lateral and transverse heat flow through the radiator. This integrated design approach contributes toward the development of thermomechanically optimized radiator panels for small-scale spacecraft, with the aim of enabling compact, efficient, and lightweight thermal control systems.