Spacecraft Solar Array Structures
17 hours ago
- #engineering
- #spacecraft
- #solar-arrays
- Solar arrays are critical for spacecraft power, providing energy for propulsion, communications, and mission operations.
- Design considerations include power generation, structural integrity, mass limitations, and deployment reliability.
- Odin used off-the-shelf solar arrays with 53 W/kg efficiency, leading to lessons for Vestri's design.
- Vestri's solar arrays must fit within SpaceX's ride-share program constraints, including a 200kg mass limit.
- Vestri requires 2kW of power, leading to a design with three panels per wing and articulating mechanisms.
- Structural components include solar array panels, motor mounts, HDRMs, and hinges, each with specific design challenges.
- Thermal considerations involve radiation as the primary heat transfer mode, affecting solar array efficiency.
- Simulation models for stowed, deploying, and deployed configurations are critical for ensuring structural integrity.
- Design must balance robustness for launch, lightweight for mass limits, and sufficient power generation.