Design and Fabrication of a Zero Gravity Liquid Cryogen Cooler Using Surface Tension Confinement Technology

Abstract

AET, Ltd. was contracted by NASA GSFC to design and fabricate a zero gravity liquid cryogen cooler for use in NASA’s Hitchhiker Program. The cooler was designed to fit inside a standard Get Away Special (GAS) canister located in the cargo bay of the space shuttle. The main function of the cooler is to provide an inexpensive way for commercial customers and the research community to perform cold temperature testing in a zero gravity environment. Surface Tension Confinement Technology used in the design of the cooler, allows a liquid cryogen to be used as the cooling media without the traditional problems associated with the use of fluids in zero gravity. The paper discusses the design of the cooler, the testing results, and the epoxy joint design criteria that was developed during the contract, for a specific epoxy joint used in the design of the cooler.