Solar Cells Are Here!!!

July 30, 2024

Author: Biarki Weeks VE7WEK

Our solar cells are in! After much trial and tribulation due to high industry demand, low available volumes and long lead times, our flight and mechanical cells have arrived from MicroLink Devices. Solar cells provide a stable supply of power in orbit, and they are the workhorse for electrical power generation of most inner solar system space missions. The flight model of Skya’anna will require 48 cells in a 4S12P to generate the required 30 Watts of power required for consistent operation of the Skya’annaSat payload and bus.

Mechanical Lead Tristan inspecting the cells for signs of damage

These cells differ from those previously used at CfAR, rather than being individual cells, these cells are a coverglass/interconnect/cell (CIC) format, in a 4S configuration. While this provides lower flexibility for cell placement, it appears as though this will make them less prone to damage during handling and installation. These are MicroLink’s triple-junction inverted metamorphic (IMM) solar cells, manufactured using epitaxial lift-off (ELO) technology, this results in lightweight, flexible and efficient solar cells. This makes the solar cells more resilient to cracking due temperature fluctuations, and small particle impacts.

We will be using theses cells to assemble our custom solar panels, stay tuned!