Title :
EOS AM-1 GaAs/Ge flexible blanket solar array
Author :
Herriage, Michael J. ; Kurland, Richard M. ; Faust, Carl D. ; Gaddy, Edward M. ; Keys, Denney J.
Author_Institution :
Spacecraft Technol. Div., TRW Inc., Redondo Beach, CA, USA
Abstract :
The Earth Observing System (EOS) AM-1 solar array will be the first operational flexible blanket array to use gallium arsenide on germanium (GaAs/Ge) solar cells. It will be one of the first arrays of any kind to use thin GaAs/Ge solar cells and to produce power at high voltage. The array thereby represents a significant advance in spacecraft array technology. This paper describes the progress made and the problems encountered since Kimber et al. (1993) reported on the tradeoffs that led to the array´s configuration
Keywords :
III-V semiconductors; elemental semiconductors; gallium arsenide; germanium; photovoltaic power systems; semiconductor device packaging; solar cell arrays; solar cells; space vehicle power plants; EOS AM-1 spacecraft; Earth Observing System; GaAs-Ge; array configuration; flexible blanket solar array; space power systems; spacecraft array technology; thin GaAs/Ge solar cells; Aerospace electronics; Assembly; Earth Observing System; Gallium arsenide; Hardware; Instruments; Phased arrays; Photovoltaic cells; Space technology; Space vehicles;
Conference_Titel :
Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, 1996. IECEC 96., Proceedings of the 31st Intersociety
Conference_Location :
Washington, DC
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-3547-3
DOI :
10.1109/IECEC.1996.552845
