Welsh university collaborates on groundbreaking space cooling project

A Welsh university is helping to develop groundbreaking technology that could transform how spacecraft deal with heat in space.

The project, titled Advanced Thermal Management for Space Electronics (ATMS), is a collaborative effort between Teledyne Labtech and Bangor Universit, supported by Airbus Endeavr - a joint initiative between Airbus and the Welsh Government.

Its goal is to tackle one of the most critical challenges in spacecraft design: managing excess heat in the vacuum of space.

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'Space revolution' 

Teledyne Labtech is an innovator in advanced electronic printed circuit boards, spearheading the technology that could dramatically change thermal management in space electronics.

“In space, traditional cooling methods that are reliant on-air circulation, simply don’t work,” said John Priday, Chief Technical Officer of Teledyne Labtech.

“Our ATMS project is developing scalable, lightweight, and efficient circuit board technology using synthetic graphite, which has the potential to transform the aerospace sector and supercharge the next stage of the space revolution.”

Unlike copper, which is currently used to conduct heat away from spacecraft components, synthetic graphite offers a lighter and potentially more effective alternative.

Teledyne Labtech is focusing on enhancing conduction performance, while Bangor University, the School of Computer Science and Engineering, is advancing the material’s ability to radiate heat into space.

The team at Bangor University is using ultrafast laser technology to etch microscopic textures onto the surface of synthetic graphite and other materials, significantly improving their thermal radiation capabilities.

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Profound implications 

Professor Zengbo Wang from Bangor University’s School of Computer Science and Engineering said: “Bangor University is very proud to be part of this incredibly exciting project; by modifying the surface of space-grade materials, we can dramatically improve their ability to emit thermal radiation, paving the way for the next generation of space technology. The implications of this work are profound.

“Many satellite microprocessors currently operate at only around 50% of their full capacity due to overheating risks. By solving this thermal bottleneck, the ATMS project could unlock higher processing speeds and enable more powerful, efficient spacecraft systems.”

“We firmly believe that in our partnership with Bangor University, we’ve found the key to developing this transformative technology,” added Jak Bridges, Sales Manager.

“We extend our sincere thanks to Airbus and the Welsh Government for their support in making this vision a reality.”

The ATMS project is scheduled to run until the end of 2026, culminating in prototype demonstrations that will showcase the technology’s potential for future space missions.