Solar Panel Satellites

Solar panels on spacecraft supply power for two main uses.

Solar panel satellites.

Power for spacecraft propulsion electric propulsion sometimes called solar electric propulsion. Leading provider of solar cells solar array panels for satellites we are the world s only vertically integrated supplier of satellite solar array panels solaero technologies corp. Is a leading provider of high efficiency solar cells solar panels and composite structural products for satellite and aerospace applications. A 1u cubesat for example will have an area of just 10 cm x 10 cm on each face in order to accommodate a solar panel.

Now almost everything arriving in the ionosphere is multi junction. Lastly the solar panels in space do not need to convert dc electricity into ac. Regular silicon cells were used first until gallium arsenide made it out of r d in the 90s. This format is also used in the international space station.

Orbiting satellites can be exposed to a consistently high degree of solar radiation generally for 24 hours per day whereas earth surface solar panels currently collect power for an average of 29 of the day. Power could be relatively quickly redirected directly to areas that need it most. Nasa has taken an interest in solar for a long time. Unlike larger satellites where the surface area available on the external structures is much greater cubesats nanosatellites and other small satellites have far less volume that can be given to solar panels.

While the very first satellites were battery powered solar arrays became common in orbit by the 60s.