Spacecraft Thermal Management Systems

Boyd Corporation (which acquired Aavid Thermalloy in 2019, rebranding it under the Boyd name) is a global leader in thermal management solutions for high-power electronics. In the space domain, Boyd/Aavid provides passive and two-phase thermal management systems that transfer waste heat from satellite electronics to radiator panels for rejection to space.

For spacecraft, Boyd supplies constant conductance heat pipes (CCHPs) and variable conductance heat pipes (VCHPs) that transport heat over long distances with minimal temperature drop — essential for transporting heat from compact, high-power processors and RF electronics to radiator surfaces. The company also manufactures thermal straps (flexible braided copper or graphite fiber) for connecting sensitive detectors and electronics to cold plates without transmitting vibration.

Boyd’s aluminum and copper vapor chambers (thin planar heat pipes) spread heat from concentrated sources (power amplifiers, processors, FPGAs) uniformly across mounting surfaces to prevent hot-spot failures. The company can provide space-qualified (cleaned and sealed) heat pipe assemblies, tested to ASTM/AIAA space standards. Boyd also supplies thermal interface materials (TIMs) — indium foil, filled epoxies, phase-change materials — for bolted electronic assemblies. With heritage across hundreds of commercial and government satellite programs, Boyd is a common thermal supplier for GEO and LEO satellite platforms.