Experience With Supercritical Helium Cooling On A Rocket Sensor

Donald P. Saletnik; Jens Peter Dybwad

doi:10.1117/12.941834

10 November 1987 Experience With Supercritical Helium Cooling On A Rocket Sensor

Donald P. Saletnik, Jens Peter Dybwad

Proceedings Volume 0819, Infrared Technology XIII; (1987) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.941834
Event: 31st Annual Technical Symposium on Optical and Optoelectronic Applied Sciences and Engineering, 1987, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

A large telescoped infrared sensor was successfully flown on a rocket. A supercritical helium cryogenic system was used to cool the various parts of the sensor and to avoid cooling problems associated with liquid/gas phase mixing during the weightless part of the flight. The design and operational experience are presented. Since the flight of the sen-sor lasted only eight minutes, most of the operational time was spent calibrating and testing the sensor on the ground. This testing was relatively expensive since approxi-mately 20,000 liters of liquid helium were consumed. Alternate approaches to the design and operations are discussed which can improve the economy of the calibration and testing operations.

Citation Download Citation

Donald P. Saletnik and Jens Peter Dybwad "Experience With Supercritical Helium Cooling On A Rocket Sensor", Proc. SPIE 0819, Infrared Technology XIII, (10 November 1987); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.941834

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