A cryogenic helium II system for Spacelab

Abstract

A description is presented of a helium II storage and gas delivery system which is to provide refrigeration to a scanning infrared telescope experiment which will be flown in space in 1981 aboard the Spacelab 2 mission. Instead of submerging the infrared apparatus within a large, specially constructed helium dewar, which has been the usual approach to space cryogenics, it was decided to separate the cooled infrared optical system from the storage dewar. As a result of this decision the cryogenic supply system will be able to deliver gaseous or liquid helium cooling to other types of experiments on later Spacelab missions.