Electric thruster waste heat recovery during satellite orbit transfer

1. A spacecraft comprising:

a spacecraft main body, including at least a first side wall configured as a radiator panel having an exterior-facing outer panel surface and a second wall panel disposed transversely to the first side wall;

payload equipment disposed on an inner panel surface of the radiator panel; and

at least one electric thruster disposed proximate to the second wall panel;

wherein the at least one electric thruster is thermally coupled with the at least one radiator panel by way of a thermally conductive path; and

wherein the thermally conductive path includes one or more heat pipes.

2. The spacecraft of claim 1 , wherein the electric thruster is fixedly coupled with the second wall panel of the spacecraft main body.

3. The spacecraft of claim 1 , wherein the electric thruster is mounted to the second wall panel by way of a mounting plate and a thermal blanket is configured so as to substantially impede radiation of heat from the mounting plate to space.

4. The spacecraft of claim 3 , wherein the thermal blanket is configured so as to substantially impede radiation of heat to space from at least a sidewall portion of the electric thruster.

5. The spacecraft of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the one or more heat pipes is disposed on or embedded in the second wall panel.

6. The spacecraft of claim 5 , wherein the electric thruster is coupled with the second wall panel of the spacecraft main body by way of one or more gimbals.

7. The spacecraft of claim 6 , wherein at least a portion of the one or more heat pipes is flexible.

8. A method for executing an orbit transfer maneuver for a spacecraft, the method comprising:

firing at least one electric thruster;

transferring waste heat from the electric thruster to a radiator panel of a main body of the spacecraft, the radiator panel including payload equipment disposed on an inner panel surface, the radiator panel including heaters; and

reducing, during at least a duration of firing the at least one electric thruster, an amount of power supplied to the heaters; wherein

the main body includes a first side wall including the radiator panel, and the electric thruster is disposed proximate to a second wall panel disposed transversely to the first side wall; and

the transferring waste heat from the electric thruster includes conductively transferring the waste heat from the electric thruster to the radiator panel by way of a thermally conductive path;

wherein the thermally conductive path includes one or more heat pipes.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the amount of power supplied to the heaters is reduced correspondingly by an amount of transferred waste heat from the electric thruster.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the electric thruster is fixedly coupled with the second wall panel of the spacecraft main body.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the electric thruster is mounted to the second wall panel by way of a mounting plate and a thermal blanket is configured so as to substantially impede radiation of heat to space from one or both of the mounting plate and at least a sidewall portion of the electric thruster.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein at least a portion of the one or more heat pipes is disposed on or embedded in the aft facing panel.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the electric thruster is coupled with the second wall panel of the spacecraft main body by way of one or more gimbals.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein at least a portion of the one or more heat pipes is flexible.