Space Solar Power Generation Animation

Can solar power power the International Space Station?

"Solar panels already are used in space to power the International Space Station, for example, but to launch and deploy large enough arrays to provide power to Earth, SSPP has to design and create solar power energy transfer systems that are ultra-lightweight, cheap, and flexible."

What new technologies are being developed for space-qualified power generation?

New technologies continue to be developed for space-qualified power generation. Promising technologies applicable to small spacecraft include advanced multi-junction, flexible and organic solar cells, hydrogen fuel cells, and a variety of thermo-nuclear and atomic battery power sources.

Could space-based solar power be a sustainable alternative?

The OTPS report considered the potential of a space-based solar power system that could begin operating in 2050. Based on that timeline, the report found that space-based solar power would be more expensive than terrestrial sustainable alternatives, although those costs could fall if current capability gaps can be addressed.

What is a scalable EPs for small spacecraft?

A modular, scalable EPS for small spacecraft was detailed by Timothy Lim and colleagues, where the distributed power system is separated into three modules: solar, battery, and payload. This allows scalability and reusability from the distributed bus, which provides the required energy to the (interfaced) subsystem (86).

How much power does a Solar System deliver?

Taking the scaling factor for each system and inefficiencies into account, and incorporating each system’s capacity factor, results in final power delivery of approximately 2 GW (or about 13% of the incident solar energy). We further break each system into five ConOps phases to evaluate costs by each phase of the full operational lifecycle.

How big is a Starlink V2 solar array?

Assuming a mass of 1250kg and solar array area of 105 m2 per Starlink v2 satellite. These systems were chosen because at the time of this report’s publication they represent the most massive single monolithic system in Earth orbit (ISS), and the most massive single distributed system (Starlink constellation).