VARIABLE EMITTANCE THERMOCHROMIC MATERIAL AND SATELLITE SYSTEM

The emittance value is a measure of an amount of energy expelled from a given surface area relative to a black-body reference. Depending on the specific coating a change in the emittance value is actively or passively effected. There are known active variable emittance thermal control coatings. However, such coatings are actually panels housing a mixture of both high and low emissivity materials that are electrically manipulated to control the emittance value of the panel. These "coatings" are classified as either electrochromic or electrophorectic. Both electrochromic and electrophorectic coatings require an applied voltage to cause a change in the emittance value of the coating. By contrast, aspects of the present invention do not include active variable emittance thermal control coatings. Aspects of the present invention do include passive variable emittance thermal control coatings and materials. In accordance with aspects of the present invention "passive" means that the variable emittance value changes in response to changes in the environment without active control (e.g. neither a voltage nor a current is applied). More specifically, in accordance with one aspect of the invention a passive variable emittance thermochromic material is provided that has a relatively low emittance value at low temperatures and a relatively high emittance value at high temperatures.