High Efficiency Cryocooler (HEC)
Flight-proven pulse-tube cryocooler with no moving parts in the cold end, used on NASA climate, astronomy and missile-defense missions including the James Webb Space Telescope.
Technical specifications
- Refrigeration Capacity
- 2 W @ 45 K / 8 W @ 77 K / 23 W @ 150 K
- Compressor Input Power
- Up to 180 W
- Reliability
- >90% at 87,600 hours (10 years)
- Operating Environment
- -40°C to -70°C
- Vibration (Drive Axis)
- <50 mN
- Vibration (Pulse Tube Axis)
- <200 mN
- Mass (single stage)
- <4.5 kg
- Mass (electronics)
- <3.8 kg
About
Northrop Grumman’s High Efficiency Cryocooler (HEC) provides high-reliability cooling for critical space missions spanning missile defense, climate science, astronomy, and weather tracking and prediction. The pulse-tube design has no moving parts in the cold end and uses a non-wearing compressor, giving it a flawless flight record: 17+ units have operated in space without failure, more than all other U.S. manufacturers combined.
HEC units can be configured with a second cold head to provide simultaneous cooling at two temperatures. The design underpins NASA’s Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (EOS Aqua), the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (EOS Aura), the OCO-2 satellite, and forms the cooling backbone of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.
Documentation
No public datasheet yet — request the datasheet / ICD from the supplier.
