Blueshift outlines thermal management for orbital data centres

Author: Joe Peck

US advanced materials company Blueshift has outlined a three-part thermal management approach for spacecraft in low Earth orbit (LEO), addressing the challenges posed by extreme temperature changes and increasingly powerful computing payloads.

Presented at CAMX 2026, the approach treats thermal protection as an integral part of the spacecraft system. It focuses on moving internally generated heat to radiators for rejection at the highest practical temperature, controlling heat flow to protect temperature-sensitive components, and managing solar, Earth, and environmental exposure at the spacecraft surface.

Blueshift reportedly has more than 20,000ft² (1,858m²) of its AeroZero Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) flying in LEO, alongside material testing and standards references including ASTM E595 and NASA-STD-6016.

Spacecraft in LEO experience temperature swings from -180°C to +150°C between shadow and sunlight, with this cycle occurring 16 times a day. Computing payloads add to the challenge by generating substantial internal heat.

Tim Burbey, co-founder and President of Blueshift, says thermal protection must be considered as part of the overall spacecraft design, regardless of vehicle type, noting, “Every spacecraft produces internal heat, and now we are seeing data centres produce 100 times more, forcing it to become a design driver.”

Managing heat across spacecraft systems

Blueshift says its AeroZero TPS materials can be used across the three areas of thermal management. Within the spacecraft, the material acts as a thermal break at brackets, joints, and other interfaces, helping to isolate batteries and temperature-sensitive components from hot electronics and coolant loops.

This separation allows high-powered processors to determine the coolant loop temperature, enabling radiators to operate at higher temperatures and reject more heat per unit area. By separating hot and cold zones, the approach can also reduce radiator area and support smaller spacecraft thermal systems.

In vacuum testing, Blueshift research found that AeroZero TPS had 19 times lower thermal conductivity and six times lower thermal diffusivity than standard polyimide tape.

Thermal diffusivity determines how quickly temperature changes propagate through a thermal break, while the material is intended to buffer the temperature swings experienced every 90 minutes in LEO.

In a modelled LEO scenario comparing thermal breaks, a solar cell mounted on a composite frame in sunlight ran almost 40°C cooler with AeroZero TPS than with standard tape. The comparison examined how thermal breaks could limit heat transfer between spacecraft structures and equipment.

For exterior surfaces, Blueshift gives AeroZero TPS a solar absorptance-to-emittance ratio (α/ε) of 0.14, compared with 0.60 for uncoated Kapton. In illustrative steady-state calculations for a flat surface facing the Sun, the estimated surface temperature was -32°C (241 K) for AeroZero TPS and +73°C (346 K) for Kapton, a difference of 105°C.

Tim concludes, “Supporting reliable, long-duration missions in increasingly demanding orbital environments is a key focus for Blueshift. Following CAMX, we look forward to further opportunities to showcase our AeroZero TPS portfolio and engage with spacecraft designers, engineers, and industry decision makers on how material innovation can support the next phase of commercial space development.”