EOS AM-1 GaAs/Ge flexible blanket solar array
- TRW Space and Electronics Group, Redondo Beach, CA (United States). Spacecraft Technology Div.
- Lockheed Martin Corp., King of Prussia, PA (United States)
- Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD (United States)
The Earth Observing System (EOS) AM-1 solar array will be the first operational flexible blanket array to use gallium arsenide on germanium (GaAs/Ge) solar cells. It will be one of the first arrays of any kind to use thin GaAs/Ge solar cells and to produce power at high voltage. The array thereby represents a significant advance in spacecraft array technology. This paper describes the progress made and the problems encountered since Kimber et al (1993) reported on the tradeoffs that led to the array`s configuration. The EOS AM-1 spacecraft, due to launch in 1998, is the first in a series of Goddard Space Flight Center remote sensing spacecraft. It requires a single wing solar array with an end of life (EOL) power requirement of 5 kW at 127 volts after a five year mission in a low earth polar orbit. Spacecraft system level design issues dealing with packaging volume, attitude control, weight and array size dictated that a low aspect ratio (2:1) flexible blanket solar array with 0.14 mm thick GaAs/Ge cells be used. Design of the array was contracted to TRW Space and Electronics Group in 1992 by Lockheed Martin Corporation. The flexible blanket array configuration proposed was based on the Advanced Photovoltaic Solar Array (APSA) flat-pack foldout concept demonstrated by TRW under an earlier Jet Propulsion Laboratory exploratory development contract, (Stella and Kurland, 1992). The EOS AM-1 solar array assembly (SAA) program is in its post critical design review phase, with design details completed, flight hardware in production, and the flight hardware verification test program about to begin. The protoflight solar array wing is scheduled for delivery in 1997.
- OSTI ID:
- 435535
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-960805-; TRN: IM9710%%193
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 31. intersociety energy conversion engineering conference, Washington, DC (United States), 9-14 Aug 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of Proceedings of the 31. intersociety energy conversion engineering conference. Volume 1: Aerospace power systems, aerospace technologies; Chetty, P.R.K.; Jackson, W.D.; Dicks, E.B. [eds.]; PB: 681 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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