Thermal connections are based on a complex process of assembling strips of conductive materials:

• High-purity aluminium: 10-80K
• OFHC copper (high purity): 10K
• POG (Pyrolytic Oriented Graphite): >80K

Depending on the operating temperature, one technology will perform better or worse than others. Our specialist engineers can help you select the most suitable material for thermal links, based on criteria of mass, flexibility and cleanliness.

In addition to their very high thermal conductivity, the links are designed to filter out micro-vibrations from the cold tips of the cryogenic cooler to the detectors.

Thanks to the flexibility of the straps, Absolut System’s thermal links allow the accumulation of a 3-axis static bias (alignment of the detector and the relative dynamic deflection between cold fingers and detector during the take-off phase).

Thermal links meet the rigorous constraints of the space industry, offering reduced mass to stay within the reduced static and dynamic volume of the Interface Requirement Document (IRD).

Cleanliness is a very important factor due to the proximity of the detector: solutions are developed for different technologies to ensure cleanliness levels below 50ppm. All thermal links manufactured by Absolut System meet the cleanliness requirements imposed by proximity to the detector, and survive launch loads and thermal cycling without degradation of performance.

Absolut System is Europe’s leading manufacturer of thermal links, with numerous instruments already in flight:

• FCI and IRS: Third-generation Meteosat satellite (MTG)
• IASI-NG Instrument on the MEtOp SG satellite 
• METImage Instrument for the EUMETSAT polar system satellite 
• EUCLID/PLM (Payload Module) – a space mission to map the dark universe
• CO2M et LSTM : Copernicus

Our design office and a space project manager will be with you every step of the way, designing, manufacturing and qualifying your thermal links for observation satellites.