The collaboration targets one of space engineering's hardest problems: moving heat in vacuum. The team is developing scalable, lightweight printed circuit board technology that uses synthetic graphite to conduct heat away from components while improving their ability to radiate energy into space.
"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."
Graphite promises a lighter, potentially more capable alternative to copper, which is widely used for heat spreading today. Teledyne Labtech is optimizing in-plane conduction performance, while Bangor University's School of Computer Science and Engineering is boosting radiative efficiency.
Researchers at Bangor are using ultrafast lasers to etch microscopic surface textures on synthetic graphite and other space-grade materials, significantly increasing emissivity and thermal radiation. Bangor University notes that modifying surfaces in this way could unlock a new generation of space hardware.
The stakes are substantial. Many satellite microprocessors reportedly operate at roughly half their rated capacity to avoid overheating. By easing this bottleneck, ATMS could enable faster on-board processing and more efficient, capable 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."
ATMS runs through the end of 2026, with prototype demonstrations planned to validate the approach for future missions.
Related Links
Teledyne Labtech
Space Technology News - Applications and Research
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