Glass elements fabrication technology analysis for space elements thermo-optical covering
A spacecraft (SC) thermal conditions ensuring is associated with thermo controlling coating selection. The coating type of the “solar reflectors” class is intended for application on the radar surfaces, ensuring extra heat removing into surrounding outer space in conditions of these surfaces' contemporaneous irradiation by the Sun. The K-208Cp thermoregulation coating represents the plates of optically transparent glass K-208 of 150 ± 20 microns thickness with sizes of 20 x 20 mm, 25 x 25 and 40 x 40 mm, with electrically conductive coating on one side and silver and stainless steel layers on the other side, successively applied in vacuum. These plates are glued to the hull by the metallized side. The article presents the system analysis of fabrication of the glass elements for this coating. Glass elements require several stages of manufacturing technology. The article describes all stages of production. High demands are placed on the glass elements geometric parameters. They are the plate sizes, glass elements quality and flatness fault. Long-term studies helped to establish the optimal temperature regime at which the change the glass elements shape does not occur. The cycle of manufacturing technology includes chemical hardening processes. The main problem of application of glasses is their weak mechanical strength. A simple and effective method of the glass plates hardening is the method of low-temperature ion exchange.