ABSTRACT
The chapter describes some efforts to find and evaluate potential heating methods for the deployment of CHEM structures specifically utilizing available space heat sources. Researchers explored a variety of heating methods in order to deploy CHEM structures in space, including microwave radiation, storing and using the heat generated by spacecraft electronics, pre-cooling the CHEM structure below Tg and letting it naturally heat up during transit, stowing the CHEM material in its compacted state above its Tg and passive solar heating via a thermal blanket. These heating methods for deployment in space are described and evaluated. Each method was assessed for simplicity, mass, volume and power needed. The passive solar heating via a thermal blanket that encases the CHEM foam structure was chosen as the best heating method due to its simplicity, low volume and low cost. In addition, it uses no additional spacecraft power and was selected for further feasibility studies. The passive solar heating was used in the case study of potential deployment of CHEM structure on Mars and in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
