The design and performance of the Hughes HS-39C satellite solar arrays featuring large area solar cells
- 4 December 2002
- conference paper
- Published by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
- p. 1188-1192
- https://doi.org/10.1109/pvsc.1990.111803
Abstract
The successful construction of the Hughes HS-393C solar arrays has demonstrated that large-area silicon solar cells are a viable design option for large space solar panels. The solar arrays used on the HS-393C satellite consist of two cylindrical solar panels. Each panel is approximately 12 ft in diameter and over 9 ft tall. The total array power is 1800 W at summer solstice after ten years in geosynchronous orbit. HS-393C is the first commercial satellite to utilize large-area (>6-cm*6-cm) silicon solar cells as the primary power source. These cells offer a significant cost advantage over more conventionally sized solar cells (<2*6 cm). Analysis after one year in orbit on the first HS-393C indicates that the arrays manufactured from these large-area cells are performing better than expected.Keywords
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