Low cost, lightweight, high power solar arrays with compact packaging and high voltage capability is an enabling technology for meeting the key NASA objective of implementing solar electric propulsion, which enables enhanced planetary, human exploration, and orbit transfer missions. With these missions projecting prime power growth to 25 - 300kW, the automated assembly of THINC arrays with today's CIGS solar cells meets these needs with improved specific power by a factor of >3X, an improved volumetric efficiency when stowed for launch by a factor of >8X, and a PVA cost reduction of >70% compared to today's solar arrays. These improvements, together with demonstrated high operating voltage capability exceeding 300V, allow an affordable high power system up to hundreds of kW to be packaged into a single launch. The THINC Array also has the advantages of improved high voltage stability and electromagnetic cleanliness because of surface continuity available from encapsulation, with similar technology developed at Vanguard already transitioned through a NASA Phase III SBIR to the Magnetospheric MultiScale MMS mission.
The trend towards Solar Electric Propulsion to supplant chemical propulsion for orbit-raising and station-keeping, and the advent of "all-electric" spacecraft which use SEP for orbital transfer and station-keeping, have driven the need for both higher power and higher voltage in commercial and DoD spacecraft. Commercial spacecraft have trended toward higher power to also provide more capability (e.g. more bandwidth or coverage) which translates directly to increased revenue for the spacecraft operator. Additional functionality for military spacecraft, including enhanced communication, reconnaissance, and on-orbit computational capabilities, as well as the maneuverability afforded by SEP also drive to higher power requirements. The implementation of a low mass, low volume, low cost array with improved cost and environmental robustness benefits all of these applications.
More »