Patent ID: 6899170

Claim:
A radiator comprising: a space craft having an inside, and having a low emissivity layer, outer in reference to the inside of the space craft; a substantially flat, planar movable covering disposed substantially parallel to said outer layer and having a contact mode and a non-contact mode with the low emissivity outer layer; said movable covering further comprising a composite film with dielectric base layer, inner in reference to the inside of the space craft, and an outer high emissivity metallic coating on the outer side of the inner dielectric base; a switched power source having a first pole connected to the low emissivity outer layer and a second pole connected to the high emissivity metallic coating; and wherein a non-powered state of the outer high emissivity metallic coating causes the non-contact mode and a low heat transfer rate away from the space craft, and a powered state of the outer high emissivity metallic coating causes the contact mode and a high heat transfer rate away from the space craft.