UltraFlex-175 Solar Array Technology Maturation Achievements for NASA´s New Millennium Program (NMP) Space Technology 8 (ST8)

ATK space systems (ATK) in collaboration with the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC), the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and EMCORE Photovoltaics (EPV), is executing NASA´s New Millennium Program (NMP) Space Technology 8 (ST8) Project Formulation Refinement Phase to develop and validate through spaceflight a state-of-the-art solar array system called UltraFlex-175. UltraFlex-175 is a highly evolved and scaled version of the previously flight qualified Mars 01-Lander UltraFlex and employs many advanced technologies. The UltraFlex-175 system promises very high specific power (175 W/g - 220 W/kg BOL), compact stowage volume (>33 kW/m³), high reliability, scalability beyond 7 kW wing sizes, and operational capability for standard, high voltage, multi A.U., and/or high temperature applications. Key technology maturation activities performed (deployment kinematics, deployed dynamics, and power production/survivability) that demonstrate TRL 5-6 achievement will be presented. Subsystem and system level design, development, experimental hardware builds, conducted testing and results, and analytical model correlation activities will be presented. Technology scale-up performance to 7 kW wing sizes and the planned UltraFlex-1 75 flight experiment will also be presented