eli5: if space is virtually empty, does a space shuttle stay hot from when it exits the atmosphere because there’s less particles to absorb the heat? Or does it do the opposite and cool rapidly?

Question

I’m just curious as to the process and behavior of the surface temp of a shuttle once there’s virtually no particles in contact with the craft.

I’m aware space is cold due to the absence of matter,

But does a space shuttle take a much longer time frame to cool down with less matter available to transfer the heat of the craft to, or does the lack of matter cause the shuttle to cool rapidly?

In: 141

Answer 1

Spacecraft don’t get really hot during launch, it’s only during reentry that serious heating occurs. During launch, by the time the spacecraft is going fast enough to generate serious heat, it’s already cleared the densest part of the atmosphere.

At an rate, infrared radiation is the only means of heat transfer in space, and it’s the least efficient of the 3 methods of heat transfer, which is why spacecraft have radiators to help shed waste heat but also thermal insulation to protect them from the cold. Without these, they would overheat from their own internal parts generating heat and from solar radiation, and also become too cold to operate, depending on which side of the spacecraft is facing the sun and whether the spacecraft is exposed to sunlight or not.