TRW has delivered to Lockheed Martin the solar array for NASA's Mission to Planet Earth spacecraft, the Earth Observing System, EOS AM-1 is planned for launch in June 1998. The 5,400kg craft will carry five synergistic instruments to study the Earth's clouds, water vapour, aerosol particles, trace gases and other properties.
The new lightweight (73kg) high-power solar array will provide 7.5kW of energy at 127V to the spacecraft, which will be operated from polar orbit.
It has gallium-arsenide and germanium solar cells, which generate up to 35% more power, while being smaller and lighter than traditional systems.
The array, the first gallium-arsenide flexible-blanket array to be deployed in space, is considered a forerunner of future arrays able to generate as much as 20kW.
Source: Flight International
