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TianQin is a proposed space-borne gravitational wave observatory in high geocentric orbits, exposed to radiating heat sources in space. Due to the stringent thermal stability requirements from the key payloads, the analysis of space thermal environment is of great importance. This paper studies the incident thermal radiation onto the TianQin satellites from the Sun–Earth–Moon system. The solar constant fluctuation (SCF) and the Earth's land-type features, based on the meteorological data, are considered, and an analytic function of lunar surface temperature is used. The analysis includes the solar radiation, the infrared radiation, and the albedo. The results are discussed in both time and frequency domains. The spectral analysis indicates that in the target frequency band of 0.1 mHz–1 Hz, the SCF plays a dominant role, and that the associated incident thermal disturbance is ∼5 W m−2 Hz−1/2 for TianQin, at the same level of the LISA in heliocentric orbits. In addition, the power spectra of the Earth's and Moon's heating fluctuation are given, both order-of-magnitude weaker than that of the solar radiation. The results may contribute to the thermal design and the noise analysis for TianQin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TianQin is a geocentric space-based gravitational-wave observatory mission consisting of three drag-free controlled satellites in an equilateral triangle with an orbital radius of 1 0 5 km. The constellation faces the white-dwarf binary RX J0806.3 + 1527 located slightly below the ecliptic plane, and is subject to gravitational perturbations that can distort the formation. In this study, we present combined methods to optimize the TianQin orbits so that a set of 5-year stability requirements can be met. Moreover, we discuss slow long-term drift of the detector pointing due to orbital precession, and put forward stable orbits with six other pointings along the lunar orbital plane. Some implications of the findings are pointed out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]