Session
Session VI: Advanced Techonologies—Section 1
Abstract
For most companies and organizations planning their own space mission, the prospect of producing a reliable, yet affordable power system for their mission is a non-trivial problem. Some non-traditional spacecraft manufacturers, such as Universities, are finding out the importance of a well designed power system the hard-way and are experiencing on-orbit power system failures. The most obvious solution to removing concern over the reliability performance of a power system is to buy one from a recognized source. However, for most nanosatellite producers, the cost of doing so is perceived as being prohibitive. This is no longer the caseClyde Space Limited has developed a plug-n-play power system that is not only designed by highly experienced small satellite power specialists; it is also affordable and available off-the-shelf. The power system uses an innovative approach to interfacing to the spacecraft solar arrays, providing a maximum power point tracking system that can interface to up to six solar arrays of differing characteristics simultaneously. In addition, a regulated 5V and 3.3V is supplied for the satellite on-board systems. The power system is based on CubeSat requirements and uses the PC/104 format. The system is modular and scalable to accommodate creeping power budgets or larger buses. The power system has been designed to cost with the objective of supporting low-cost space access and educational missions by providing mission designers with an alternative to an in-house design and to reduce the risk to mission success.
Presentation Slides
Plug-n-Play, Reliable Power Systems for Nanosatellites
For most companies and organizations planning their own space mission, the prospect of producing a reliable, yet affordable power system for their mission is a non-trivial problem. Some non-traditional spacecraft manufacturers, such as Universities, are finding out the importance of a well designed power system the hard-way and are experiencing on-orbit power system failures. The most obvious solution to removing concern over the reliability performance of a power system is to buy one from a recognized source. However, for most nanosatellite producers, the cost of doing so is perceived as being prohibitive. This is no longer the caseClyde Space Limited has developed a plug-n-play power system that is not only designed by highly experienced small satellite power specialists; it is also affordable and available off-the-shelf. The power system uses an innovative approach to interfacing to the spacecraft solar arrays, providing a maximum power point tracking system that can interface to up to six solar arrays of differing characteristics simultaneously. In addition, a regulated 5V and 3.3V is supplied for the satellite on-board systems. The power system is based on CubeSat requirements and uses the PC/104 format. The system is modular and scalable to accommodate creeping power budgets or larger buses. The power system has been designed to cost with the objective of supporting low-cost space access and educational missions by providing mission designers with an alternative to an in-house design and to reduce the risk to mission success.
